La Crosse man fights extradition to Illinois for parole violation

He’s accused of being a fugitive from Illinois, but a La Crosse man claims charges against him were dropped.

Nathan Kleckler is accused of violating his parole, under a warrant issued in Illinois more than a year ago. The 31-year-old told a La Crosse judge it was a mistake.

“If you could find out when the warrant was issued because I sat a year in Illinois,” Kleckler said in court Monday. “Everything got dismissed. They released me.”

Online records show Kleckler was sent to prison for stalking or following a person in the Rockford area.

He’s in jail on a high cash bond, but that could be changed after another hearing today.

Also in court Monday, a La Crosse man faces several domestic abuse charges for, allegedly, injuring his wife and putting his arms around her so she couldn’t leave.

Johnathon Steele is also accused of smashing his wife’s phone but police say there was no proof of a claim that Steele may have held a knife to the victim’s throat.

After being arrested Sunday, and ordered to have no contact with his wife, Steele reportedly went back home anyway.

Judge Elliott Levine put Steele on house arrest and continued the ‘no contact’ order.

Lastly, a hit-and-run suspect in La Crosse is accused of causing two accidents within a few blocks of each other.

Julian Murphy allegedly rear-ended another car at West Avenue and Main Street on Friday morning before driving away.

The 28-year-old’s car reportedly was involved in a second crash a short time later on Lang Drive, and a witness followed the car until it stopped near an intersection.

Murphy also is accused of driving drunk and possessing marijuana. There were no serious injuries reported in the crashes.