Daniel Navarro (Fond du Lac Co. Jail)
FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A man is facing first-degree intentional homicide and hate crime charges in connection with a fatal Fond du Lac County crash. 27-year-old Daniel Navarro is also charged with use of a dangerous weapon.
The hate crime modifier can be applied to any case if it is believed to be triggered by anger against people who are different than the suspect.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re black, if you’re white, if you’re Hispanic, if you’re male, female, what your religion is. The law applies equally to everybody, and everyone should be afforded the protections of the law and the presumption of innocence,” said Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.
“Navarro told investigators that he believes he had been intentionally poisoned by co-workers and by a neighbor, that people drive by and rev their engines and squeal tires to try to upset him, and then people make racist comments toward him because he is Hispanic. He said that that all of the people that cause problems in his life are white,” Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt said.
The crash happened on July 3, between a motorcycle and a vehicle in the area of Winnebago Drive and Taycheedah Way in the town of Taycheedah.
55-year-old Phillip Thiessen of Fond du Lac was killed. Theissen served as a Marine before spending more than 20 years with the Fairfax, Virginia Police Department. He later moved back to Wisconsin and joined the Department of Justice, where he worked as an agent in the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. It’s not believed he was specifically targeted due to his law enforcement background.
Navarro was treated for injuries before being taken back to the Sheriff’s Office, where he was interviewed for approximately three and a half hours by deputies.
“Navarro told detectives that he believed the person driving the motorcycle was white, because in Wisconsin, white people drive Harley Davidson motorcycles and Harley culture is made up of white racists,” Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt reported, “Navarro said he intentionally swerved into the path of the oncoming motorcycle with the intent to kill that operator and they chose a motorcycle instead of a car because he wanted the driver to die and not just the injured or paralyzed…Navarro said that if President Donald Trump and white people are going to create the world we are living in, he has no choice, and that people are going to have to die.”
He made his initial court appearance Thursday where bond was set at $1 million cash.
Navarro returns to court July 17.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office is asking any residents on Winnebago Dr. for any home surveillance video that may have captured the crash and moments leading up to it. They are also asking for those who knew Navarro to share with them any information about him. The community can call (920) 929-3390 with any information or video.
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