WAUKESHA, Wis. – A man accused of leading police on a lengthy chase through Waukesha County was found not guilty on Friday due to mental disease or defect.

Joseph Marino, 33, was charged with multiple felonies in the case. Court records show he was ordered to be committed to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services for 6 ½ years.

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Case details

The pursuit happened in December 2023 and ended in the town of Delafield. It began in Illinois before crossing the state line and stretching across Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.

The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department said the police chase started in Elgin, Illinois. The sheriff’s department said Illinois authorities notified them of a pursuit involving an armed carjacking suspect who was headed north on I-94 toward Wisconsin. Deputies spotted the car and picked up the chase at speeds in excess of 105 mph in Kenosha County.

Kenosha County deputies continued the chase into Racine and Milwaukee counties before terminating their involvement. Officials said Waukesha police were alerted around 2 p.m. about a car that was wanted in connection with an armed robbery in Milwaukee. 

A criminal complaint states Waukesha police spotted the car speeding and cutting through traffic on State Highway 164. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to pull over – at one point driving into oncoming traffic and nearly striking another vehicle. 

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Waukesha police, Wisconsin State Patrol troopers and Waukesha County sheriff’s deputies became involved in attempting to stop the driver. The complaint states the vehicle ran multiple stop signs and red lights as it sped away from law enforcement. Officers called off the pursuit after nearly two miles due to heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the downtown Waukesha area. 

A second traffic stop was attempted near St. Paul and Barstow. The complaint states the driver continued to flee, reaching speeds as high as 100 mph. A pursuing officer struck a citizen’s vehicle during the chase, per the complaint, and the citizen was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

As the pursuit continued, the complaint states the fleeing driver stuck his hand out the window and a “powder-like material began spraying in the air.” The vehicle hit spike strips near Meadowbrook and Rolling Ridge – but kept going.

Eventually, the car went off road in an open area west of the Orthopaedic Associates of Wisconsin building in the town of Delafield. Officers used a PIT maneuver to stop the car, which was stopped in a marsh area. Four Waukesha police squad cars were damaged during the incident, and the complaint states an Illinois State Patrol squad was “slammed” into earlier in the day.

The suspect was revving his engine, which police said made it obvious to officers the suspect was continuing to attempt to flee. The suspect would not listen or surrender to law enforcement. A Waukesha police K-9 was eventually able to apprehend the suspect – now identified as Marino.

The complaint states Marino was taken to a hospital for treatment of a dog bite from the K-9. In his wallet, prosecutors said dollar bills had a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine. The pursuit stretched roughly 10 miles in Waukesha County, and police said several other vehicles were struck either by Marino as he fled or by authorities “attempting to catch up” with him.

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Taylor Swift fans flock to nearby cities to see the star take the stage.

A group from Sterling Heights paid a lot of money to see Taylor Swift in Toronto and learned that their tickets had disappeared.

The scam is familiar to consumers on Ticketmaster and has caused much concern.

“I just started crying,” said Dominique Parham. “It was devastating and traumatizing because they were gone. They were out of my account and have been claimed by someone else, and I have seen so many horror stories of so many people not being able to get their tickets back.”

“At first I thought she was joking, and then I was very upset,” said the friend.

She’s one of the biggest stars on the planet. Taylor Swift concerts are both must-sees and costly, with some spending thousands to see the pop star in person.

“It’s insane,” said Nakia Mills of the Better Business Bureau. “We were making friendship bracelets to trade at the concert. We had our room ready and what we were going to wear.”

The tickets purchased on Ticketmaster were supposed to be in Parham’s Apple wallet, but they were gone.

Earlier this year, Ticketmaster was hacked, and just like Parham, fans with tickets saw them vanish.

–> 4 Berkley teens fall victim to $1,200 Taylor Swift ticket scam

Watch the video above for the full story.

MILWAUKEE – We are putting the spotlight on a bilingual teacher from Milwaukee Public Schools – during Hispanic Heritage Month.

It is another day in Alondra Garcia’s classroom at Allen-Field Elementary School in Milwaukee. The space is filled with vibrant colors, butterflies and enthusiastic second-graders eager to learn. 

“She likes to celebrate everything that I like to celebrate,” said Jolaniz Acosta, a student. 

“(English: She reads to us and I can understand it,)” said Damian Gomez, age 7. 

Garcia said she designs lesson plans to keep this diverse class of students engaged. 

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“My goal as an educator is to make sure I empower them,” Garcia said. 

And it hits home. Ms. Garcia is a first generation bilingual teacher – and she said she sees herself in every single one of her students. 

“I always remembered in the back of my head that little girl who wanted to learn to do something to be someone in the future,” Garcia said. 

Like many of her students’ stories, Garcia’s family left their home in Mexico to make a home in Milwaukee. 

“My goal as an educator is to make sure they’re able to find their voice and that they’re able to use their voice as a power, as something that’s going to get them far in life,” Garcia said. 

Garcia’s job does not end inside the classroom. In fact, it keeps on going in the community – as an activist fighting for immigrant rights and other issues affecting Latinos in Wisconsin. 

“Status does limit you, sadly, and I was a former DACA recipient for 12 years. Just recently, I obtained the U-Visa status. So that, eventually, will lead me toward permanent residency. I’m grateful my whole family qualified for that,” Garcia said. 

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Garcia said she inherited her drive from her father, Gilberto Garcia Calderon, who said he is proud to see his daughter’s efforts to serve and help others. 

“(English: Seeing her work and involvement just tells me she’s on the right path,)” Garcia Calderon said. 

It is a purpose Garcia said she hopes will pave the way – and inspire the next generation. 

You can view more stories about Hispanic Heritage Month on FOX6Now.com.