Search continues for man accused of stealing guns, sending manifesto to Trump

JANESVILLE, Wis. -- Authorities were stepping up patrols around southern Wisconsin churches as a precaution as they searched for a man suspected of stealing firearms from a gun store after threatening to carry out an unspecified attack.

The Rock County Sheriff’s Office said 32-year-old Joseph Jakubowski expressed anti-religious views in a 161-page manifesto he sent to the White House. He is accused of taking handguns and rifles from a gun shop Tuesday night in Janesville, about 70 miles southwest of Milwaukee.

The sheriff’s office and Janesville police increased patrols near churches Sunday, although investigators said there was no specific threat. Extra patrols also were planned around churches in Sun Prairie, about 48 miles north of Janesville, after a man entered Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Thursday and asked about church services.

Law enforcement agencies have investigated more than 300 leads in the manhunt for Jakubowski, CBS affiliate WISC reports. Authorities said on Sunday morning that they still had another 50 tips to look into.

After receiving a report of a suspicious person, the Darlington police department warned residents to be cautious, WISC reported. In a Facebook post published late Sunday morning, police said they received a report of a man matching the description of Jakubowski. In a Facebook post less than two hours later, the department said the reports were unfounded.