Police: Man burglarizes woman's Altoona home while she is sleeping

Dan Holtz, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Oct. 8—EAU CLAIRE — An Elk Mound man burglarized an Altoona woman's residence while she was sleeping in the living room, authorities say.

Jordan N. Samuelson, 26, 3851 37th St., was charged Thursday in Eau Claire County Court with a felony count of burglary of a dwelling.

Samuelson is free on a $1,500 signature bond, which prohibits him from having contact with the woman or her residence.

Samuelson returns to court Nov. 18.

According to the criminal complaint:

The woman called Altoona police on Sept. 19, 2020, to report that Jordan Samuelson burglarized her residence earlier that day.

The woman said she didn't go to sleep until 2 a.m. She was trying to stay awake until her son got home from work, but she decided to go to sleep in the living room.

The woman said the front door of her home was unlocked so her son could get inside.

When she woke up, the woman said she found that her dogs had been locked in the front bedroom near the front door.

The woman also found that her cellphone and charging cable were missing. She had her cellphone plugged in on her desk in the living room of the residence when she went to sleep.

After finding that her phone was missing, the woman found a strange cellphone sitting on the stand by the television.

The woman's son was able to remove the SIM card from the phone and put it into another phone. The SIM card showed that it was Samuelson's phone that was left in her home.

The woman said she immediately posted on Samuelson's Facebook account for him to return her cellphone or that she was calling the police.

The woman said Samuelson showed up at her residence and just walked in without knocking. She said he appeared to be under the influence of something and was unable to walk straight.

The woman said she started yelling at Samuelson and told him to give her the phone. He produced the woman's cellphone and gave it to her.

The woman called Altoona police three days later to report that she was also missing some debit cards. Another woman sent her a Facebook message indicating that her debit card was found on a county highway.

The woman then went through her wallet. Not only was her debit card missing, but two prepaid bank cards and $70 in cash were also gone.

If convicted, Samuelson could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison.