Arrest made in Wis. campus threats

The escaped inmate accused of threatening the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus was captured early Friday in California, police said.

Jesse Miller, 19, was taken into custody by San Diego police on a probation violation.

Miller called authorities Tuesday claiming he was on top of a parking ramp at the university hospital with a weapon and wanted to be killed by officers, campus police said. They say he followed that up with a false report of shots fired in the area and a fake bomb threat.

The calls were enough for the university to cancel some night classes and to warn students to stay home. His capture was a relief to the school's 60,000 students and employees.

"We are glad he is in custody and will now receive the support and services he needs," UW-Madison spokeswoman Amy Toburen said.

Miller was arrested after seeking treatment, using his brother's name, at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, said Monica Munoz, a San Diego police spokeswoman. She said she didn't know why Miller sought treatment but he has a history of mental illness.

Military police discovered his correct identity and the warrant, she said. He was arrested without incident. Munoz said she was not sure how long Miller had been in San Diego.

Campus police said in a news release that they had developed leads that Miller might be in the San Diego area, but they had conflicting information. When he made another phone call Thursday night, UW-Madison and San Diego police worked together to locate him. His identity was verified by fingerprints.

Miller was serving a one-year jail sentence with work-release privileges in Madison after pleading no contest to armed robbery with use of force. He vanished Sept. 8 after leaving the jail for a medical appointment.

Campus police Sgt. Jason Whitney said Miller would face additional charges for making the threats.