Crime & Safety

Late Night Prowler Arrested After Foot Chase

A 48-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested after walking through Lake Drive yards at 3 a.m. last Wednesday.

After a late night foot chase, a Whitefish Bay police officer arrested a 48-year-old Milwaukee man seen trespassing through Lake Drive yards last Wednesday.

The officer first became suspicious about 2:20 a.m. June 1, when he saw a red Dodge Caravan pull over into a driveway in the 6100 block of North Lake Drive and shut off its lights, despite the vehicle being listed to an owner living near 51st Street and Mill Road in Milwaukee.

The officer then saw a man walking eastbound through yards, and the officer used binoculars and night vision to see what the man was doing.

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When the officer saw the man return to the van wearing gloves and carrying a bag, the officer identified himself and ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. Ignoring orders, the man ran southbound on Lake Drive, and after a while, the man turned around and ran toward the officer, knocking him to the ground.

The officer called out to the man to get down on the ground or he will be shot, and the man obeyed. After calling for backup, the officer ordered the man to put his hands behind his back, but the man reached into his front pant pocket. The officer then Tasered him and handcuffed him.

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In addition to the knapsack and the gloves, the man was also carrying two outdoor halogen light bulbs, two lighters, about $140 in cash, a silver belly chain with five black stones and a Sony Walkman and headphones.

When officers interviewed the man at the station, the man said he was wearing gloves to drive the van, which belongs to his fiancée. He has a lengthy criminal record including thefts and operating a motor vehicle without owners consent. In a later interview, police asked the man’s fiancée if he had any friends in Whitefish Bay or any other reason to be in the village and she said he did not.

Police cited the man for prowling, resisting an officer, entering land without consent and operating after suspension. He was issued also issued citations for operating without proper plates, lamps and insurance.


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