Wirgau headed toward trial on hijacking, weapons charges
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ALPENA -- A tow truck driver testified for a second time on Wednesday, two weeks after telling a judge that three acquaintances armed with guns and carrying drugs allegedly demanded a five-minute ride on Sept. 21.
Greg Schuelke testified Wednesday during a preliminary examination for Joshua Wirgau, who police accuse of unlawful imprisonment and assault with a dangerous weapon related to the alleged incident.
At a preliminary examination, a judge decides if the prosecution has enough evidence for a court case to proceed toward trial. Schuelke's testimony provided that evidence, despite inconsistencies in his story, Judge Ed Black ruled Wednesday afternoon.
Police say Wirgau, 34, pointed a gun at Schuelke's head and demanded Schuelke drive him and two other people to a nearby intersection in Alpena Township in September.
Wirgau has pleaded not guilty.
In a case police call unrelated to the alleged hijacking, police in September named Wirgau as a person of interest in the death of Brynn Bills, a teenager whose body police found buried in Wirgau's backyard the day after his arrest on the hijacking charges.
Alpena resident Abby Hill, whose body police found in early October in what they call a probable homicide, allegedly participated in the hijacking on Sept. 21, according to Schuelke.
Police have not publicly named any suspects in the women's deaths.
Schuelke also testified against another man allegedly involved in the alleged hijacking, Brad Srebnik, late last month.
During Wednesday's exam, Schuelke said Wirgau called him late on Sept. 21 to ask for a ride to an Alpena towing company, where both men worked.
Schuelke told defense attorney Rick Steiger he didn't know why he deleted a phone log that showed the alleged call from Wirgau.
When Schuelke arrived at Wirgau's house on Naylor Road, Wirgau allegedly jumped into the cab of Schuelke's wrecker and pointed a pistol at Schuelke's head, demanding a ride to a nearby intersection.
At the same time, the driver claimed, Srebnik and Hill -- both of whom he knew --jumped onto the bed of Schuelke's truck. Schuelke said he could only see their faces and the assault-style rifles he alleged they held after the truck arrived at the intersection and the two jumped off.
That testimony was inconsistent with Schuelke's previous testimony, when he said he identified Srebnik and could see the alleged rifles as soon as the two jumped onto his truck.
Alpena County Prosecutor Cynthia Muszynski would not say whether police searched for or recovered any firearms at the time of Wirgau or Srebnik's arrests. Steiger told the court the prosecution has no firearm related to Wirgau's case in their possession.
Schuelke testified that Srebnik pointed a gun at him for a few seconds and was emotional and "didn't seem himself" during the short drive to the intersection.
When the tow truck stopped, Schuelke claimed, Wirgau tossed the driver a bag of drugs and exited without saying anything.
Srebnik, after climbing off the truck, gave the driver $100 and told him to leave, Schuelke said.
Schuelke said he first told police about the alleged hijacking four days later, when an officer called him to ask about it. He didn't say anything to police right away for fear of retaliation, Schuelke claimed.
Shortly thereafter, Schuelke called police because he heard someone "had a hit out" on him and was trying to kill him, he testified.
Muszynski added two gun charges related to Wirgau's alleged possession of a gun as a felon. Wirgau will be arraigned soon in Alpena's 26th Circuit Court.