Brillion man charged with carjacking, hit-and-run in Winnebago County

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - A 43-year-old Brillion man is accused of taking a car by force shortly after leaving the scene of an accident in Winnebago County.

Michael Leiterman is charged in Winnebago County with carjacking by use of force, taking and driving a vehicle without the owner’s consent, and hit-and-run.

These happened early Monday morning. The criminal complaint says the first report was a carjacking on Highway 91 at Highway 44. An Oshkosh police officer responding to the call found a Subaru Outback in the middle of the westbound lanes of traffic. A man standing behind the Subaru, who the officer described as “very shaken,” said he was driving a Chevy Camaro on Highway 91 when the Subaru came up behind him, crossed the double yellow lines to pass him, then slammed on the brakes so hard he nearly crashed into it.

A man who appeared to be in his 40s jumped out of the Subaru, reached through his open window and pulled the door handle, then pulled the victim out of the car. “I want your car real bad. I want your car. You can have mine,” he said the carjacker told him.

Another driver approached the officer to say their car was rear-ended by the Subaru just before the carjacking and that he witnessed the auto theft.

Shortly after relaying information about the stolen car, a Berlin police officer was passed by a Camaro going at a high rate of speed. The officer chased it to an address on E. Huron St., where the driver got out and ran away. People pointed the police officer to an office construction trailer.

Leiterman was in custody less than 25 minutes after the initial call about the carjacking.

Also according to the complaint, after his arrest, Leiterman told police he had Stage IV cancer and complained about shoulder pain. Police say Leiterman was unresponsive and wouldn’t cooperate when being booked into the Winnebago County Jail.

Leiterman’s wife contacted police and said she didn’t have any information about him having cancer. She said they’re getting a divorce and his life apparently had been spiraling out of control. She told them a woman in Green Bay had been helping him recently.

The Subaru was traced to that woman in Green Bay. She said her car wasn’t stolen, although she didn’t know it was driven to Oshkosh. She declined to give police much more information.

Police advised the man whose car was stolen to get it checked by a mechanic, because Leiterman told officers he drove it up to 160 miles per hour.