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Mass Arrest Follows Another Mass Theft at Mayfair

Eight youths taken into custody as they try to make their escape on county bus.

 

A group of youths planned and carried out another mass "grab and run" shoplifting spree Friday at Mayfair Mall, but this time instead of arranging their rendezvous on Facebook, they used another network — the county bus system.

Most of them were arrested after an evening that began with them being tossed off one bus for rowdy behavior and being captured on another for stealing.

According to police reports:

At 7:36 p.m., a Milwaukee County bus driver reported that after he put eight to 10 disorderly juveniles off his bus at North 60th Street and West North Avenue, several of them stood in front of the bus to keep him from leaving while another kicked out the glass in the lower right door panel.

The driver said that one of them had also stolen a pad of bus transfers.

Apparently, the group avoided police and transit authorities and boarded another bus bound for Mayfair. Just about an hour after the first incident, eight of them were placed under arrest for theft after they boarded yet another bus waiting to leave Mayfair while they were laden with stolen clothing.

At 8:32 p.m., seven juveniles ranging from 13 to 17 years old — one from West Allis and the rest from Milwaukee — and one 19-year-old Milwaukee man were arrested after the mass theft from the Mayfair Macy’s store.

The youths were seen entering the Polo merchandise section of the store together, all but one of them wearing black clothing. They were being monitored closely as they selected items of clothing when suddenly they all ran toward an exit with the goods.

They left the store and headed for a Milwaukee County Transit bus idling at a stop north of the store. The driver saw them running toward her bus carrying armloads of unbagged clothing, some of them trying to doff or don pieces of apparel as they ran.

She realized that a group theft was in progress and let them board, then hit an alarm that not only alerts police but also locks the doors of the bus, making the shoplifters captive in their intended getaway vehicle.

Police surrounded the bus and detained 10 individuals. Macy’s security could not identify two of them as having been involved, so they were released. The rest were positively identified and were arrested.

Concealed under seats throughout the bus was merchandise worth $2,096.50, including jeans, shirts, sweaters, socks and hats, all Polo brand.

Related Topics: Crime, Police Reports, Shoplifting, Theft, and Wauwatosa police

Michael Groth

7:36 am on Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Just over ten years ago a group of people planned and carried out a plan to disrupt the american way of life. Does homeland security exist in Milwaukee ? or do these terrorists have to use an airplane?

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Michael

11:58 am on Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Every time I hear about a problem at the mayfair mall it seems that the tosa police are very swift to act and take care of business. That is always going to be problems at malls no matter where they are located, what really matters is how the problems are dealt with. I grew up with northridge being my local mall. Much unlike the tosa police department the milwaukee police never took care of problems once they started. Those problems began to snowball and the mall ended up closing. Tosa police seem to be taking care of business to insure that does not happen here. 2 thumbs up to the tosa police and the transit system!!!!

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Joseph

8:59 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011

Except the crime still happens. They aren't preventing it from happening. With that said, I congratulate the bus drive for locking the door and alerting the police, as well as the police arresting these criminals.

Eddie

10:04 am on Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Michael spot on, when I left for college Northridge was considered the best mall and when I returned it was about to close. I'm thankful that the Tosa police and mall management have been able to work together to address problems in a timely fashion. Kudos also to the transit driver who locked these fools down

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Ray Ray Johnson

3:04 pm on Monday, December 12, 2011

If you remove the bus line from Mayfair mall, I'd bet that retail sales would be down 5%, but shoplifting would be down 95%. Stores would probably break even because a net gain with the removal of the Ghetto to Tosa crime shuttle, aka, the bus. Example: out of $50,000 weekly sales, a store may lose 5% in sales, or $2500, but based on a corresponding gain in losing an example $2500 shoplifting loss, they break even on the loss of the crime shuttle, with less police traffic, and higher shopper satisfaction, and improved public image.

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