ELK MOUND, Wis. – A northern Wisconsin man drove 60 miles to a strip club near Elk Mound, smashed a window to get inside, set the place on fire, and drove home, according to court documents. This was pre-dawn on Saturday. When confronted at home by investigators, Colton Jansen, 25, of Comstock, said he was not a fan of “those clubs.” They’re against his beliefs, he said: “Disgusting.” The club, Shooters Showgirls, was damaged extensively, leaving a rotating cast of exotic dancers out of their jobs. Police arrested Jansen at his home in Barron County after:
> Identifying his vehicle’s license plate with roadside tracker cameras.
.> Matching boot-prints with boots he was wearing.
> Seeing him with on-premises surveillance video.
> Finding a torching device in his car.
Flashy if not lurid. But legal. Before the fire that’s now blamed man who despised such enterprises.
Jansen. Accused of acting out a personal belief system that abhors so-called gentlemen’s clubs
Jansen was charged with arson, burglary and possession of burglary tools. Bail was set at $25,000. Dunn County investigators said Jansen first denied the crimes. He said somebody must have stolen his car. Later, investigators said, he admitted to being in the area. Then he admitted guilt, they said. The criminal complaint asserts that Jansen used a metal bar to smash a window for access; attempted to break into a cash-withdrawal machine; whacked a pull-tab machine and stuffed-animal claw machine; and used a torch to ignite a Kleenex box.