Crime & Safety
Sheriff: Missing Volo Woman was Living in Her Vehicle in the Woods Near the Dells
Aneta Marsek and her two young children were located in the Wisconsin Dells Sunday night after the mom walked into a gas station and asked the attendant to call police. The sheriff's office has requested the state's attorney review the case.
According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, the Volo woman who was located in the Wisconsin Dells Sunday night after being reported missing for more than a week told authorities she and her kids had been living in her Chevy Trailblazer in the woods because she had to "get away."
The sheriff's office has requested that the Lake County State's Attorney review the case for possible charges.
Authorities said Aneta M. Marsek, 33, of 261 N. Cornerstone Dr., Volo, walked into a gas station in the Wisconsin Dells shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, and asked the attendant to call police.
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The woman identified herself to arriving officers as Aneta Marsek, and told them she believed people were looking for her and that she had been reported missing, according to a sheriff's office press release.
Marsek then lead Wisconsin Dells Police to her vehicle, where her two children, 2-year-old Chevelle and 4-month-old Macenzie, were located. Marsek told police she had been living in her vehicle in the secluded wooded area off County Road H and Fitzgerald Road since arriving in the Dells days earlier.
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Mother and children were transported by rescue to St. Clair Hospital in Baraboo. Both children were found to be in good health and were later released into the custody of their father, Dan Marsek.
Anita Marsek was transported to Winnebago Mental Health Facility in Oshkosh.
Dan Marsek had reported his wife and children missing on Oct. 10. He told authorities he had not seen or heard from his wife since Oct. 6. She was last seen leaving her parents' home in Wauconda, according to police.
Exhaustive search
The Lake County Sheriff's Office used every available resource to find the mother and children including air and water search teams. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent out 9,000 faxes of fliers with their photos and information, and an alert was issued to truck drivers in six states, said police.
In a statement by Marsek, Lake County Sheriff's detectives learned she did not leave the Volo area until the morning of Monday, Oct. 7. According to police, Marsek said she needed to “get away” and that the Dells area reminded her of “childhood memories”.
“I would like to commend our many divisions of the Sheriff’s Office that put their heart and souls into locating Anita and her children,” said Sheriff Mark Curran.
“We want to thank the entire law enforcement community, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, friends and family of the missing and the media for their assistance and overwhelming support in their attempts to help us locate Anita and her two children. We are relieved that this had a good ending," said Curran.
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