A 21-year-old Racine man is facing decades behind bars after Racine police say he fled from a traffic stop Thursday.
Trevor Ottum is being held on a $10,000 cash bond after being charged Friday in Racine County Circuit Court with one felony count of fleeing police, 16 felony counts of bail jumping, three misdemeanor counts of bail jumping and one misdemeanor count each of possession of drug paraphernalia and obstruction. If convicted, he faces up to 103 years in prison and/or up to $210,500 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint, Racine County Sheriff‘s deputies attempted a traffic stop Thursday near 6th Street and Memorial Drive on a vehicle displaying license plates registered in Algoma, WI, but not attached to any particular car. The driver – later identified as Ottum – at first slowed down but then accelerated away from the scene.
Deputies say they gave chase with Racine police officers participating but had to eventually cease pursuit because they lost site of the driver. Eventually, they got word that Ottum had been apprehended after the car was found empty and he was sighted walking a short distance away. He appeared to be under the influence of something and records came back that he had a warrant out of Milwaukee County for narcotic drug possession.
After Ottum was in custody, he reportedly made several comments and asked questions like, “How fast do you think I was going?” and “If I hadn’t stopped to talk to (the officer), I’d be home by now,” the complaint continues.
Ottum will next be in court Feb. 21 for a preliminary hearing. Online court records do not yet indicate what will happen in regard to Ottum’s Milwaukee case, only that a warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to appear there.