Madison man wanted on warrant for OWI-5 arrested, back in Chippewa Co jail

CHIPPEWA FALLS — A Madison man wanted on an open warrant since November for a drunk-driving charge has been arrested and is back in the Chippewa County Jail.

Kenneth W. Lewis, 40, was charged in July 2022 in Chippewa County Court with OWI-6, operating while revoked, possession of narcotic drugs, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Lewis was initially held on a $1,000 cash bond, but it was later reduced to $500, which he posted. As terms of his bond, Lewis cannot consume drugs or alcohol, or enter taverns.

When Lewis failed to show up for a court hearing Nov. 21, Judge James Isaacson issued a warrant for his arrest. Lewis has been apprehended, and Isaacson ordered Lewis to now be held on a $3,000 cash bond, which he has not yet posted. Lewis will return to court May 7. If he posts bond, he also must submit to daily preliminary breath tests.

According to the criminal complaint, two Chippewa County deputies responded to a call of a vehicle stuck in a ditch at 7:35 p.m. July 4, 2022, along Highway T, north of Highway 29. The male driver, identified as Lewis, was out of his vehicle and waiting for someone to come pick him up.

The officers ran his license information and learned of his prior drunk-driving convictions. They observed signs of impairment, and Lewis failed field sobriety tests and was arrested. A preliminary breath test showed no alcohol in his system. A blood draw was taken to determine if he had any drugs in his system.

Lewis also was cited for refusal to take a test for intoxication after arrest. Mail sent to him was returned as unclaimed and undeliverable, and a notice of intent has been filed to revoke his operator’s license.

Court records show Lewis was convicted of his fifth OWI in 2013 in Sawyer County Court. Lewis also served a one-year jail sentence after being convicted in Eau Claire County Court in 2020 of aggravated battery of an elderly person, which is a felony. He also served a one-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2017 of strangulation & suffocation-domestic abuse.