Crime Reports: Man Beats Mom in Police Station Parking Lot

When a Milwaukee woman began to feel seriously threatened by her drug-addicted son, she drove to the nearest safe haven she could think of – the headquarters of the Wauwatosa Police Department.

But her son beat and choked her and threw her to the pavement in the parking lot and then made her drive away before she could get the attention of any officer.

She did, however, turn him in in the end.

At 12:47 p.m. Saturday, a 26-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested on suspicion of battery after his mother reported the incident a short time later.

She said her son had arrived earlier at her home “dope sick” and asking for money. She told him she wouldn't give him money for drugs but would help him any other way she could, and he asked for a ride back to his apartment, she said.

But while they were in the car, she said, he became abusive and threatening and was by then demanding money. She said she used to live and work in Wauwatosa and knew where the police station was, so she drove there for her own protection – and without telling him where they were going.

But when they arrived and he realized where he was, he flew into a rage and attacked his mother. After knocking her down in the parking lot and choking her, she said, he grabbed her keys and tried to take the car to get away, but she threw herself onto his lap to stop him.

She said she honked the horn but failed to get anyone's attention before she finally decided she had get away from there – again, for her own safety.

She soon stopped once more, at Mayfair Mobil, 3106 N. Mayfair Rd., and was able to call 911 without her son's knowledge. Officers arrived there and took him into custody without resistance.

Police reviewed video of the station parking lot, which fully corroborated the woman’s statement, showing the young man grappling with and knocking his mother to the pavement.

In other recent incidents:

Sunday

At 10:50 p.m., a resident of the 11100 block of West Meinecke Avenue reported that someone had entered her unlocked car and stolen her radio, and had tried to steal the car itself without succeeding. She told police that about three hours earlier someone had knocked on her door, and when she looked out the peephole she saw a person walking away quickly. She thought nothing of it at the time, but later found her car rifled, with the stereo gone and extensive damage to the steering column and ignition.

The resident of the 9900 block of West North Avenue reported that sometime since last Wednesday someone had entered his apartment and stolen his laptop computer, six Xbox games, a multitool, a can of tennis balls and two jars of loose change, along with a pillow case to carry the goods off. He said he had returned from a trip at 8 a.m. and found the door unlocked. There was no sign of forced entry, and the resident said he was positive he had locked the door and patio. Police theorized that the burglar had climbed a tree and entered through an upper porch door that may have been left unlocked.

Saturday

At 4:45 p.m., a 21-year-old Milwaukee woman was arrested on suspicion of trying to steal 14 items of children’s clothing and accessories, worth $127 retail, from Kmart, 3201 N. Mayfair Rd. She was shopping with her 6-year-old daughter, 1-year-old son and 1-month-old girl when she was seen stuffing merchandise into the infant’s diaper bag.

Friday

At 8:20 p.m., an 18-year-old Milwaukee woman was arrested on suspicion of theft at Boston Store at Mayfair Mall after store security agents said they saw her carry merchandise into a fitting room and exit without it. She had two shirts together worth $69 retail stuffed into her purse.

At 7:20 a.m., a 19-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl, both of Milwaukee, were arrested on suspicion of theft from the Buckle store in Mayfair Mall after each was caught with pairs of designer jeans taken from the shop. The 16-year-old also had a number of pieces of new jewelry with the sales tags removed and no receipt. When officers asked her where the jewelry came from, she said, “It’s been a long morning of stealing and I don’t remember.”

At 4:08 a.m., police and the Wauwatosas Fire Department were called to the McDonald’s at 12324 W. North Ave. on a report of a battered woman, and police found a 26-year-old Milwaukee woman in the parking lot, crying and shaking. She had swelling and lump on her forearm, swelling on her forehead and “a clear and distinctive bite mark on her left cheek.” She told officers her boyfriend had done it but refused to give them his name.

Thursday

Police were seeking a well-known 28-year-old male suspect after he was reported to have stolen a carton of cigarettes from Walmart Market, 3850 N. 124th St. The police officer sent to the store to take the report reviewed video of the theft and instantly recognized the offender from numerous prior contacts – in fact, he had stopped and chatted with him 25 minutes before in the next-door Target parking lot, asking him about his Thanksgiving.

Another known suspect, a 44-year-old Milwaukee man, was being sought on suspicion of theft after police were called to the Pick ‘n Save store at 1717 N. Mayfair Rd. about a man who had climbed over a security gate into the rear storage area of the store, grabbed two cases of Red Bull and fled out the back door. When police were joined by a manager to review video of the crime, the manager immediately recognized the suspect and said this was his modus operandi and that he has committed the same style of theft at numerous Pick ‘n Save locations. A background check showed “an extensive criminal history including number retail thefts,” the reporting officer wrote, adding that the suspect also has an open warrant for retail theft.

Last Wednesday

At 10 p.m., a 17-year-old Milwaukee boy was arrested on suspicion of employee theft at Kmart, 3201 N. Mayfair Rd., after he was accused of stealing a number of video games over the previous couple of weeks. He was watched Wednesday and seen cutting open a game box, taking out the game and hiding it among his personal belongings. He admitted to having earlier stolen eight more games.

At 7:15 p.m., a 44-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested on suspicion of theft at Sentry Foods, 6700 W. State St., after he was seen bagging two bottles of tequila and trying to leave the store without paying. He was detained in the parking lot and held for police.

At 6:12 p.m., a 17-year-old Milwaukee girl was arrested and cited for retail theft at Macy’s in Mayfair Mall after store security said she tried to leave with four children’s outfits, worth $182.50, stuffed in her purse.

A resident of the 6400 block of West Wisconsin Avenue reported that overnight someone entered his unlocked SUV in his driveway, rummaged through it and stole a small amount of loose change out of the center console.

Tuesday, Nov. 20

At 8:25 p.m., an 18-year-old Milwaukee woman was arrested for possession of stolen property after staff at both Buckle and Delia’s in Mayfair Mall described her and another young woman as retail theft suspects. Police found them in the food court and searched them. The 18-year-old was holding her purse and a bag, both of which held stolen merchandise from those stores as well as Bath and Body, Claire’s, Hot Topic and Abercrombie & Fitch, with a total value of $365.