Tip from self-proclaimed psychic led to arrest of alleged thieves

A self-proclaimed psychic who called police in Madison, Wisconsin, early on Tuesday to report some strange goings-on around a car in a hotel parking lot did actually help officers catch and arrest two suspected thieves, with the car itself being stolen. The incident happened at about 12:40am in the Red Roof Inn parking lot, police said.

Arrested were Andrew Matje, 25, DeForest, on tentative charges of identity theft, resisting, felony bail jumping and party to the crime of retail theft, and Alexandra Scola, 25, DeForest, on tentative charges of identity theft, two counts of felony retail theft and attempted felony retail theft. The unidentified psychic told the 911 dispatcher he believed there was some sort of elaborate conspiracy happening, centering on a white car in the hotel's parking lot.



"He saw people coming and going, believing they had a strange aura about them, and that they were likely connected to unnamed nefarious characters," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. Arriving officers discovered the car had been reported stolen, and the two people using the car had outstanding warrants. "The male suspect was chased down by officers outside the hotel, and the woman suspect was found in a hotel room," DeSpain said.

Scola allegedly stole $2,200 worth of jeans from Boston Store at West Towne Mall on two different occasions in November, and allegedly tried to steal another $700 worth of jeans on Monday from the same store. Matje allegedly took a purse from a restaurant on Sunday and used a credit card in the purse to buy 10 packs of cigarettes. The white car was towed away by police, since evidence could possibly be in the car. "The suspects went to jail," DeSpain said. "While investigators could not corroborate the self-proclaimed psychic's elaborate conspiracy theory, they were very happy to get the crime tip, just the same."