Police ID man sought for car theft from elderly man
Oran Woodfin can now add "steals from the
elderly" to his self-description of being a drug-addicted,
brandy-drinking jail escapee and car thief, if police are
right.
Madison police have identified Woodfin as the man who stole a 2000
Buick LeSabre from an elderly couple as they finished up shopping
Dec. 10 at the Target Store, 201 Junction Road, on the west
side.
Police distributed a photo Wednesday of Woodfin, 24, who has no
known address and remains at large.
In the incident, the 90-year-old Madison man drove the Buick to the
south entry doors of the Target at about 1 p.m. to pick up his
88-year-old wife, who has trouble walking and did her shopping
using a motorized cart.
But as the man walked to the entryway of the store, he saw someone
driving off with his car. Despite the man's yelling, the culprit
kept on driving. Police now say they have developed probable cause
to arrest Woodfin for this and related crimes.
After stealing the car, Woodfin apparently pawned the victims'
motorized scooter that was in the car. And in a heart-wrenching
holiday jape, Madison police detectives believe Woodfin returned to
a Target store in Rock County all the presents in the car the
couple had bought for their grandchildren. Woodfin received store
credit at Target in exchange for the gifts.
Detectives also believe Woodfin might still be driving the couple's
car, which is steely blue and has a Wisconsin license plate of
832-DTL.
In 2007, Woodfin was arrested by Fitchburg police in a bizarre
episode in which he would only get out of the stolen van he was
driving after having one last shot of brandy.
Woodfin had escaped from the Walworth County jail, stolen a truck
in Oregon and been pulled over in Fitchburg by Lt. Todd
Stetzer.
As Stetzer approached the stolen truck, he ordered the driver to
keep his hands visible.
"Don't shoot me," came the reply from Woodfin. "It's a stolen car,
I'm a drug addict and an escaped prisoner."
When Woodfin began reaching for the brandy, Stetzer immediately
warned him again to keep his hands visible, but Woodfin said, "I'm
going to prison after his, I am going to just have one more
drink."
Stetzer watched as Woodfin raised his bottle of E&J Brandy and
began to chug it.
"I'm a crack addict and heroin addict, I escaped from jail, I know
I am going to prison, don't shoot me," Woodfin said. "All's I am
gonna do is have another drink before I go."
Woodfin was right about the prison. He was sentenced in May 2008 to
one year of prison and three years of extended supervision for that
episode and was given a 90-day jail term in Walworth County for his
escape from jail.
In the Dane County sentence, he was also declared eligible to be in
the prison Challenge Incarceration program and the early
release program, either of which upon completion would let him out
of prison before he served the one-year term.
If caught in the latest heist, not only would Woodfin face charges
for those alleged crimes, but his extended supervision on the
earlier stolen vehicle charge could be revoked.
Madison Police Department
Oran Woodfin, 24, is being sought by Madison police for last week's car theft from a west side Target.
