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Burglary suspect arrested with loaded handgun in backpack, police sayDec 14, 2012 (The Wisconsin State Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A burglary suspect arrested Thursday night is facing more than burglary charges after a loaded handgun was found in his backpack, Madison police reported. Christopher Mason, 31, of Madison, was tentatively charged with burglary and being a felon in possession of a firearm, police said in a news release. A second suspect in the burglary that happened shortly before 8 p.m. in the 400 block of West Doty Street is still at large, police said. According to the release, a UW-Madison student sleeping on a living room couch woke up to find two strangers in his house. "He asked them what they were doing and one said they were looking for 'Chris,'" said police spokesman Joel DeSpain in the release. "He told them no one named Chris lived there and they should leave." While the two suspects were leaving, the student's roommate realized his laptop computer was missing and called police. "The student went outside and flagged down a police officer," DeSpain said. "He told the officer the suspect was standing nearby." Mason tried to explain what was going on by telling the officer he came downtown with a friend to watch the "Badger men's division I basketball game." "He said a friend named 'Chad' invited them to view the game on his TV and they thought 'Chad' lived in the victim's home," DeSpain said. "The suspect said they also intended to get drunk and have physical relationships with unknown women." Mason was told the Badgers had played the previous night and there was no game Thursday night. "Found near the suspect was the student's wallet, which the victim wasn't even aware had been stolen," DeSpain said. The stolen laptop computer was not recovered. ___ (c)2012 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at www.wisconsinstatejournal.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |