The Madison County Sheriff’s Department has made an arrest in connection with a series of recent burglaries and arsons.

Over the last three weeks deputies of both Madison and Stanton Counties responded to hay bale fires which appeared to have been intentionally set. Within this same time period Madison Sheriff’s Deputies investigated a burglary at the Fairplay Golf Course 55427 837th Road, Norfolk, Nebraska. This burglary was reported on 9-13-2023.

On 9-18-2023 deputes responded to a fire call near the intersection of 837 and 554 southwest of Norfolk. During the investigation of the fire it was determined that the building had been burglarized prior to being set fire.

At nearly the same time, a hay bale fire was reported at 835 and 554, about two miles from the structure fire. Evidence found at the scene of these incidents suggested all the crimes were related. Early on 9-21-2023 a Madison County Deputy on directed patrol made contact with a person, Derrek Brugman age 34 of Norfolk, on the Fairplay Golf Course grounds and took him into custody.

Further investigation into Brugman on this same day yielded property from the Fairplay burglary on the 13th and the second burglary on the 18th. Brugman is housed in the Madison County Jail on drug charges and possession of burglary tools from the contact on 21st, a charge for burglary related to the September 13 Fairplay burglary and finally charges for burglary and arson for the incident on the September 18th.

The connection to these crimes and the remaining hay bale fires is still being investigated.

Sheriff Todd Volk

(Spelling of “Derrek” corrected at 1332 hours on 9-21-2023)

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