Cops, Mayfair Security Bat 4-for-4 in Corralling Crooks

You never know about the ones who get away without anyone's knowledge, but in all of four incidents at Mayfair Mall covered by recent police reports, suspects who were seen by security were also caught and arrested.

According to police reports:

At 3:27 p.m. Sunday, a 33-year-old Milwaukee woman was arrested for theft from Solstice Sunglass Boutique at Mayfair after she was seen on video hiding a $295 pair of sunglasses in her infant’s stroller.

She also had a toddler with her, who was seen to grab a pair of sunglasses and run out of the store. His mother chased him down and returned the glasses, but she did not return or pay for the ones she had hidden.

She was located in the food court and taken, with her children, to the mall booking room, where she was arrested and issued a citation with bail set at $681. She was found to have a criminal history including forgery, resisting arrest and more retail thefts.

Grab and run goes awry at Macy's for two teens

At 2:29 p.m. Friday, an 18-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for theft, and a 19-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for theft and bail jumping, after they tried a grab-and-run from Macy’s.

The two made themselves notably suspicious by their furtive behavior and were being watched. Sure enough, one snatched up an armload of jeans from a display while the other held the door open for him, and store security last saw them sprinting across Mayfair Road on Center Street.

Police quickly rounded them up, though, and learned that while the 18-year-old had no prior criminal record, the 19-year-old certainly did. He had a “lengthy” record of burglary, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest plus two open felony cases for car theft/resisting arrest and retail theft/bail jumping.

Five pairs of jeans were recovered and returned to the store.

And same thing, same place, 2½ hours later...

At 4:52 p.m. Friday, two 14-year-old Milwaukee boys were arrested for theft at Macy’s after they stuffed merchandise — one a hat and the other a pair of jeans — down their pants and ran out the doors.

Police tracked them down, recovered the stolen items and checked their histories.

Both were AWOL from St. Charles Home, 9501 Watertown Plank Rd. One was there for his record of burglary, theft and resisting arrest; the other for prowling, trespassing, burglary and theft.

And finally, the guy who never even got inside

At 6:08 p.m. Friday, an 18-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested on a Greenfield warrant for theft after Mayfair security recognized him and several friends outside as subjects previously banned from the property.

Police questioned them all and discovered the outstanding warrant. The warrant stipulated $706 bail or 14 days in jail, and the young man was held for the Greenfield police.

The rest of the banned youths were ordered off the property.

In other recent incidents:

Sunday

At 2:29 p.m., police were called to Best Buy, 2421 N. Mayfair Rd., after three men entered the store and one of them grabbed a Playstation 3 console worth $229 retail and ran out the door behind the others. They jumped into a pink sedan and fled, and no one could read the license plate.

Saturday

At 4:48 p.m., an employee at Open Pantry, 11500 W. North Ave., reported that three men had just entered the store together, and two of them had taken a bottle of liquor apiece before they all fled. Police could find no trace of them.

Friday

A Milwaukee man reported that between 7 and 7:45 p.m. someone smashed a window in his car while he was at Anytime Fitness, 8901 W. North Ave., and stole a wallet containing credit cards and cash. The report referred to a related car break-in, presumably in the same area and timeframe, but no separate report was available.

Thursday

A man from Powell, OH, reported that overnight someone had stolen his rented van, a 2013 Chrysler Town and Country, from the east parking lot of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 10499 Innovation Dr.