Man threw nails onto Ozaukee Co. roadways because he believed people were following him: Complaint

OZAUKEE COUNTY — Ozaukee County prosecutors have charged a 27-year-old man after police say he placed nails and screws along busy intersections in the county since last spring.

Under questioning, the suspect admitted to detectives that he believed people were following him, and that he would throw nails out of his car when "he felt threatened by them," a criminal complaint released Tuesday states.

Theodore Drazovic, of Grafton, was charged with felony criminal damage to property (over $2,500) on Monday. If found guilty, Drazovic could spend up to three years and six months behind bars and up to $10,000 in fines.

The criminal complaint states that police started investigating a number of incidents in which nails and screws were left in various roadways in Mequon and Grafton starting in May of last year.

Drivers reported that they discovered that their tires had been damaged, but admitted they did not know what the cause of the damage was. Some said they did drive on roadways where police had found nails and screws.

The areas where the nails and screws were found include: the Mequon Town Center parking lot, outside Marcus North Shore Cinema, the Elite Fitness parking lot, in front of the driveway for the Mequon Fire Department, outside the Metro Market and in front of apartment buildings and other businesses.

Grafton police say they received 48 reports involving tires that were damaged or had to be replaced, totaling $7,217.78 worth of damage. Several more went unreported.

The nails included roofing nails, finishing nails and flat head construction-style nails, the complaint states.

On Nov. 25, 2020, police found the suspect, Theodore Drazovic, sleeping in his vehicle along North Shady Lane in Mequon. Drazovic told officers he had been at nearby Elite Fitness and was letting rush hour slow before driving home, according to prosecutors.

It appears the investigation reached an inroad on Dec. 28, 2020, when a neighbor reported finding 30 nails laid out in the intersection of Lake Shore Drive and Donges Bay Road. When officers arrived, they found 56 two-and-a-half-inch silver roofing nails.

Law enforcement then found Drazovic driving nearby and pulled him over. Inside the vehicle, officers found two empty boxes of two-and-a-half-inch silver roofing nails. Drazovic denied being involved in the incidents, the complaint states.

As officers were being dispatched to that call, police received a second complaint from an employee at the Grafton Ace Hardware store, who said Drazovic had purchased two boxes of nails on the same day, according to prosecutors.

With the combined two incidents, Grafton police obtained a court order and secretly placed a GPS tracking device on Drazovic's vehicle.

On Dec. 9, 2020, detectives learned that Drazovic had purchased one five-pound box of 2.5-inch roofing nails at the Mequon Ace Hardware store. Detectives arrived and obtained video of Drazovic's purchase of those nails.

Drazovic met with detectives on Feb. 5, 2021, and admitted to them that he was the "source" of the nail incidents, according to the complaint. Drazovic said his intention was not to damage other people's cars, but "rather he believed that people were following him and that he would throw these nails out of his car when he felt threatened by them," the complaint states.

Drazovic posted his $2,500 bond on Monday. He will be back in Ozaukee County Court for his status hearing on March 8.

Where the nails and screws were found

TMJ4 News has listed the known addresses of areas where the nails and screws were found, based on the criminal complaint filed against Drazovic:

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip

Report a typo

Juneteenth