Man in custody after possible attempted kidnapping cases in Chippewa Falls

The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Jul. 24—CHIPPEWA FALLS — A 35-year-old man was taken into custody Friday in connection with three reports of what Chippewa Falls police characterized as "alarming behavior," including what was reported to be a possible attempted kidnapping of a young adult female.

According to the Chippewa Falls Police Department:

All three reported instances occurred between 11 a.m. and noon Friday.

One female reported that she was at Kwik Trip on East Grand Ave when a male walked up to her car door window and stood there staring at her. She rolled down her window and asked him what he wanted. He indicated he thought she was someone else and left.

A second female reported she was stopped at the traffic lights on Commerce Parkway at County I when a man in the car next to her got out of his car and started to approach her. She drove away and went to the Monkey Business lot. The man followed her and pulled open her door. She was able to get it shut again and started screaming. The man then fled in his car.

A third female reported she drove to her residence on West Central Street, where, after stopping her car in the driveway and opening the door, a man grabbed her arm and pulled at her. She was able to kick him in the chest, knocking him away, and closed the car door. The female's father came out and confronted the male, who fled to his vehicle. The father was able to grab a temporary license plate from the suspect's vehicle as it fled, nearly striking him.

In all three cases, the man was driving a black Volkswagen Jetta with no plates. The females were all of a similar age and similar physical characteristics.

Using the temporary tag and after speaking with the reporting parties, police investigators were able to identify the suspect as Cory G. Gudmanson, who is 6-foot-1 and 260 pounds.

Eau Claire police located the vehicle in their city and apprehended Gudmanson, who was taken into custody without incident and placed in the Chippewa County Jail.

Online court records show that Gudmanson was convicted of stalking in Chippewa County Court and Eau Claire County Court in 2012. He pleaded guilty but not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect and was placed in the Mendota Mental Health Institute near Madison.