Police Investigate Yet Another North-End Burglary

A woman whose home was broken into thinks she has a unique suspect, but she may not have been aware that she lives at the epicenter of a rash of recent burglaries.

Once again, the northernmost neighborhood of Wauwatosa has suffered a home break-in, at least the fourth in the past two weeks, and the first three of those were thought to be related.

Still, the woman could be right – perhaps a certain someone decided to take advantage of that spate of crimes to victimize her. Wauwatosa police are investigating.

According to their reports:

The woman, a resident of the 4600 block of North 118th Street, reported that between 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 5:30 p.m. Monday her home was burglarized and property stolen.

The woman said she had been away from home since Sunday afternoon and upon returning Monday evening, she noticed that the covers were thrown off her bed – odd, because she always makes the bed neatly before she goes to work, she said.

She then saw that her television set, laptop computer and DVD player were gone.

Going downstairs, she saw that another TV was missing and her basement sliding door had been forced open. Police determined that the door had been pried open with a crowbar.

The woman suspects her ex-husband, who, she said, is always asking her for money. Her current boyfriend characterized him as a "crack addict" who is always looking for $300 to $400 a week to support his dependence, according to his statement to police.

But the woman's residence is also in the middle of a neighborhood beset by recent home and vehicle break-ins.

Since Aug. 27, there have been forced home buglaries in the , the , and the .

Numerous car entries and break-ins have also plagued the neighborhood.

Among the differences – the latest burglary, on 118th Street, is to the west across the Menomonee River in a tiny subdivision separate from the rest, and the means of entry – a crowbar – was not used in the other break-ins.

Also, no other recent incidents of any kind have been reported recently in the secluded area, which comprises just two blocks of North 117th and 118th streets off a single entrance from West Hampton Avenue west of Hwy. 45.