Police arrest 2 fugitives in multi-state crime spree

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (WSVN) -- Two Wisconsin fugitives once considered armed and dangerous are now behind bars in South Florida.

Last Tuesday, 29-year-old James Newman and 18-year-old James Misleveck allegedly escaped a minimum-security prison facility in Black River Falls, Wisconsin.

After their escape, the duo went to a Black River Falls casino where they kidnapped a woman. They held up the woman at gunpoint and stole her car, police said. "They were armed and dangerous," Seminole Police Lieutenant David Carry said. "In Wisconsin, they kidnapped a female at gunpoint with a shotgun, took her out of the car, held her for five hours, robbed her for $500, and then released her to steal another vehicle to come to Florida, so they're very dangerous."

The fugitives drove from Wisconsin to South Florida, where they were spotted casing the parking lot of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood.

According to Seminole Police, a casino employee called them and said something was wrong. "This morning, at around 3:10 a.m., security officers for the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino notified us that there was a suspicious vehicle in the south parking lot of the Hollywood Hard Rock Hotel," said Carry. "Some of the police officers responded to the parking lot and attempted to stop the vehicle. It was a dark-colored Concord with Wisconsin tags."

Authorities eventually arrested the pair in the same car they stole in Wisconsin.

Police said, Newman tried to run away from them by driving the stolen car down the street and climbing a tree just off Seminole property. However, K-9 units waited for Newman to come down from the tree and attacked him.

Newman is now recovering from a dog bite. Carry said, "He's desperate. He's wanted for a number of crimes. He's going to go to jail for a long time, so he'll do anything he can to escape."

Newman and Misleveck are now facing a slew of charges. They will be extradited back to Wisconsin.

One of the fugitives were set to be released from prison in just a few weeks, while the other was scheduled to be released in a few months.

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