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Three masked men invade Waupaca home

One of three men allegedly involved in a violent home invasion in Waupaca now faces multiple felony charges.

Tyler J. Brandenburg, 22, Kaukauna, is charged with burglary, armed robbery, battery, disorderly conduct, illegal possession of prescription drugs and possession of a controlled substance.

Shortly after 11:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, Waupaca Police Officers Nathan Nelson and Jay Helixon and Waupaca County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Strobusch were dispatched to a home on the 400 block of Scott Street in Waupaca.

The officers spoke with a woman who said three men wearing black clothes and ski masks burst through her front door, attacked her and her boyfriend, and grabbed her wallet which had $700 in it.

The woman said she struggled with one of the men, who elbowed her in the back of the neck, then pointed a gun at her. She fought him off and he ran out of the house.

Meanwhile, her boyfriend fought with a second man who had a baseball bat. Their struggle tore through the living room and into the kitchen, with the boyfriend clutching the bat to avoid being hit. He was slammed into the stove and suffered an injury, according to the criminal complaint.

While the woman was outside yelling for help, the boyfriend broke away from his assailant. He then chased after the man who had attacked the woman. A neighbor assisted him, and they found Brandenburg walking nearby.

The boyfriend told police that when the men broke into the house, he and the woman had been sitting in the living room talking with a mutual friend. He said the friend seemed nervous and kept looking out the window.

The victims’ friend, who has not been charged, is also acquainted with Brandenburg. He told investigators he recognized Brandenburg when his mask fell off during the incident.

Police searched the area for evidence and found a green mask in the living room, a black mask in the back yard and a broken bat on North Street.

They also found a four-door Saturn registered to Brandenburg’s father parked on North Street.

Police impounded the Saturn and searched it. In addition to Brandenburg’s driver’s license, Officer Diana Flatoff found a small plastic container containing two clonazepam tablets and a cut straw.

According to the criminal complaint, Brandenburg could only identify the other two men by their first names and initially told police he had given them a ride to the house but had been unaware of what they planned to do when they arrived.

He also denied physically assaulting anybody during the incident.

Brandenburg faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of armed robbery.

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