December 2, 2020 – Washington Co., WI – Charges were filed in Washington County Circuit Court on Monday against a 26-year-old Milwaukee man and 51-year-old Milwaukee women.
These charges are the culmination of a 6-week, multi-jurisdictional investigation, led by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office into a home invasion robbery that occurred in the Village of Richfield on October 23.
The victim, an 85-year-old woman, was home alone the morning of October 23 when two masked individuals entered her house through a rear patio door.
The male actor pushed the victim in her wheelchair towards the basement stairs until the female actor stopped him just before reaching the steps.
The female actor stole a bag of jewelry from the victim’s bedroom and the male actor took the victim’s cell phone and then fled the area.
Several hours later, a Good Samaritan found the victim’s cell phone in the roadway and contacted the victim’s son utilizing the phone contacts. At that time, the son happened to be on his way to the sheriff’s office to meet with detectives about a prior theft incident. He contacted a neighbor to check the welfare of his mother and learned of the robbery while walking into the sheriff’s office.
The following day Washington County Sheriff Detectives with the assistance of the Milwaukee Police Department took the female actor into custody on the previous theft incident. The suspect was known to the victims from a previous relationship.
The male actor is a known drug acquaintance of the female actor. She provided information to him about the victim, location of the jewelry, and assisted in carrying out the robbery in exchange for money and drugs. She did not know him by name. Investigators ascertained the 26-year-old Milwaukee man’s true identity.
While investigators attempted to locate the male actor they discovered he was likely in the process of transporting illegal drugs from the west coast back to the City of Milwaukee. Sheriff’s investigators began coordinating with agents from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigations and the Wisconsin State Patrol to intercept the male actor.
On October 31, the male actor was stopped in La Crosse County by the Wisconsin State Patrol. He was a passenger in a rented minivan with his girlfriend and four children. Thirteen pounds of marijuana was located in the vehicle and he was arrested for possession with intent to deliver. Simultaneous to the male actor’s arrest, Washington County investigators along with Wisconsin DCI Agents and the Milwaukee Police Department executed a search warrant in the 2700 block of N 57th St in Milwaukee. Jewelry from the initial robbery was located along with firearms, U.S. Currency, and the vehicle used in the robbery. Evidence gathered at the search warrant also led to the recovery of other jewelry from a local pawn store.
Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis said he was thankful with the outcome in this case. “Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, dedicated a significant amount of resources to this investigation in the interest of justice. It is unconscionable to think someone could victimize an elderly women who is bound to a wheelchair. To leave her terrified, alone, and unable to get help is morally reprehensible; she was absolutely helpless against these two criminals. My staff takes pride in being able to serve justice for the victims and being a voice for the vulnerable. This is why they take the oath to serve the community.”