2018 Barn Restaurant Burglary & Arson Arrest

On December 22, 2018, the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office investigated a Burglary in the Township of Baraboo to the Barn Restaurant & Bar located at S5566 CTH DL. Deputies responded and learned that sometime between the evening hours on December 21, into the morning hours of December 22, someone had made entry into the business while it was closed. The business was burglarized and it was apparent that a fire was started during the course of that burglary. Deputies collected various items of evidence from the scene.

On December 23, 2018, at approximately 6:11 am, The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a report of an active structure fire at that same location. The Baraboo Fire Department and other surrounding fire departments were dispatched. Detectives from The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, Agents from the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the scene investigation. Evidence at the scene suggested new forced entry into the business.

Continued investigation resulted in the recovery of additional evidence, and a person of interest was identified as Devin J. Schroeder, 24 years of age, from Baraboo, WI. Evidence from both incidents was sent to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Crime Laboratory for testing.

On February 5, 2020, Schroeder was arrested and taken into custody with the assistance of the Stoughton Police Department, where Schroeder is currently residing. He was transported to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office where he cooperated with an interview. Multiple charges have been referred to the Sauk County District Attorney’s Office against Schroeder related to both Burglaries and fires at the Barn Restaurant and Bar as well as two separate burglaries to the Baraboo Restore in October 2018 and December 2018. He is scheduled for an initial court appearance on March 11, 2020 at 1:00 pm at the Sauk County Courthouse.

The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office worked this investigation cooperatively with the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation Fire Marshall’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Baraboo Police Department, Stoughton Police Department, Sauk County District Attorney’s Office, Baraboo Fire Department, Lake Delton fire Department, Kilbourn Fire Department and Baraboo District Ambulance Service.

Sheriff Chip Meister