KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. — A Burlington man is now the subject of an active arrest warrant after failing to appear in court Wednesday on felony charges related to an alleged fourth drunk driving offense earlier this month.
Matthew J. Mortensen, 47, was summoned to appear at 1 p.m. in Kenosha County Circuit Court for an initial appearance in case 2025CF000855. When he failed to show, Court Commissioner William Michel issued a $5,000 cash arrest warrant. As of Wednesday afternoon, Mortensen remained at large.
(Kenosha County Sheriff)
According to the criminal complaint, the charges stem from a single-vehicle crash that occurred on the evening of June 8 in the Town of Brighton. Deputies with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 26100 block of County Highway JB and found Mortensen’s Toyota disabled in a ditch with significant front-end damage. Emergency medical personnel were already on scene treating him for injuries sustained in the wreck.
Mortensen allegedly admitted to EMS workers that he had consumed four alcoholic beverages prior to driving and claimed he crashed after swerving to avoid a squirrel. Deputies later administered a preliminary breath test, which registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.156% — nearly twice the legal limit.
The complaint also states that Mortensen’s driving privileges had been revoked since August 2022 following a prior OWI conviction, and that he was under a court order to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in any vehicle he operated. No such device was found in the vehicle he crashed. When questioned about it, Mortensen reportedly said he had not yet installed the IID but was “working on it.”
Mortensen faces three charges:
- Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence – 4th offense, a Class H felony punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, with a mandatory minimum 60-day jail sentence;
- Operating while revoked, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail;
- Failure to install an ignition interlock device, also a misdemeanor, with penalties of up to six months in jail and a fine ranging from $150 to $600.
Court records show Mortensen has three previous OWI convictions in Kenosha County — in 2017, 2020, and 2022.
In this most recent incident, he was transported to Froedtert Hospital in Pleasant Prairie following the crash and later interviewed by a deputy while in his hospital bed. He allegedly told deputies he knew he wasn’t supposed to be driving and acknowledged his license status, saying he drove only occasionally and had been trying to get his license reinstated.
As of Wednesday evening, Mortensen had not been taken into custody. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office.
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2 Responses
Don’t bother looking for him at the gym.
Didn’t make it to court, can drive to get there.