Steven M. Sampson, who escaped from a Wisconsin county law enforcement agency a week ago, was apprehended Tuesday at a LaGrange Highlands motel, Riverside police have reported.
Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said he was notified at about 3:15 p.m. that the 46-year-old Sampson had been apprehended at the Countryside Motel, 6401 Joliet Road, in LaGrange Highlands by officers from the Cook County Sheriff’s Police, Countryside, and Hodgkins.
Cook County Sheriff’s Police have taken Sampson into custody, Weitzel said. A car with Wisconsin license plates was also found in the vicinity of the motel, Weitzel added, although there is no word on whether the vehicle is connected to Sampson at this time.
Earlier today, Weitzel said, Berwyn Police Chief Jim Ritz contacted Riverside with a tip that Sampson might be at the motel, which is in unincorporated Cook County. Riverside police contacted Countryside, which conducted surveillance at the motel in conjunction with the two other agencies.
Sampson escaped custody of Green Lake County, Wis., authorities on Jan. 30, when he failed to return from a work-release job at a county highway facility. On Feb. 2, Sampson reportedly appeared at a family member’s home in Riverside, where he previously lived.
Sampson had indicated to a relative that he was going to head to Minnesota to visit a friend there, but police believed he was still in the area.
Check back later for updates.
