At the annual softball tournament in Wilson, Wisconsin this weekend, folks watched the action on the field, while they talked about the incident down the street.
"Everybody's speculating and wondering," says Denise Monicken, who traveled from Baldwin to attend the tournament.
Friends say Tom and Maria Erickson attended the tournament Saturday night. But about an hour after they left, a relaxing day of softball turned into a nightmare.
Authorities say Tom, Maria and their three year old son were sleeping when some loud noises woke them up.
Someone had kicked in the kitchen door. The Ericksons confronted him outside their bedroom, at first not knowing this person was an intruder.
The man's face was covered, his shirt read 'Sheriff' , but authorities say he was demanding money and drugs.
"The individual stated he was with the sheriff's department and ordered the Erickson's to lie on the floor," says John Shilts, St. Croix County's Chief Deputy. "The individual had something hooked on this shoulder and appeared to be calling on a police radio and told the Ericksons that back-up was on the way"
Authorities say the Ericksons soon realized the intruder was not a police officer and asked to see his identification, then confronted him physically.
Investigators say the man was carrying a long gun and fired five times. One shot hit Maria in the leg. Another hit Tom in the stomach. The man took off and Maria called 911 from the bathroom.
It's a troubling case for authorities who are now looking for someone who impersonated law enforcement to commit a crime.
"I've seen those shirts all over the place at t-shirt shops...certainly troubling that we have an individual out there saying they're a law enforcement officer," says Shilts.
The Ericksons are now recovering from their injuries. Police say their little boy was not hurt.
Authorities don't believe the break-in was random. They think the suspect knew there might be drugs inside the Erickson home. In fact, when deputies arrived, they found what they describe as a small amount of marijuana there.
Authorities tell KARE 11 the Ericksons didn't recognize the man. His mask came off during the struggle.
The suspect is described as a white male, 5-10, 150 to 180 lbs. He was wearing camouflage pants and that shirt that read 'sheriff.'
Anyone with information should call the St. Croix County sheriff's department at 715-381-4320 or 715-386-4701.
(Copyright by KARE 2009. All Rights Reserved)
