55th Time Is No Charm in Clumsy Theft Attempt at Walgreens

A 64-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for his 55th time as an adult in an all-too-obvious attempted theft at a Wauwatosa Walgreens that included trying to conceal a walking cane, among many other things, under his clothing.

At 8:10 p.m. last Monday, the suspect was arrested for theft and obstructing an officer, as well as bail jumping and as a fugitive on three warrants, after he was stopped with nearly $400 worth of merchandise stuffed in his jacket and down his pants at the Walgreens store at 2275 N. Mayfair Rd.

He had been recognized when he entered as a repeat shoplifting suspect, and police were called when he was seen loading up his midsection with numerous items.

When stopped, his clothing was bulging with knee braces, a cane, razors, soap, lotions and a large number of key chains. He initially gave a false name but was easily identified from his record of 54 previous adult arrests.

In other recent incidents:

Thursday

A Waukesha man reported that between 9:27 and 9:37 a.m., while he was doing a plumbing job at a vacant residence in the 2400 block of North 67^th Street, someone entered his unlocked work van and stole a 3,500-watt generator worth $800.

Wednesday

A resident of the 1700 block of North 73^rd Street reported that overnight someone entered her unlocked car in her driveway and stole change and an iPod Touch worth $200.

At 6:31 p.m., a 61-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for theft from Metcalfe’s Sentry Foods, 6700 W. State St., after he was seen trying to leave the store with a cart holding a number of bottles of liquor. He was stopped and found to have five bottles in the cart and another stuffed under his coat. The suspect had two open theft cases and was sent to the Milwaukee County Mental Health Facility after making homicidal and suicidal statements.

Tuesday

At 4:39 p.m., two Milwaukee women, one 20 and one 22 years old, were arrested for theft from Target, 3900 N. 124^th St., after they tried to leave the store with merchandise hidden in their purses. The older woman had been recognized immediately on entering the store as a repeat shoplifting suspect who had been there just the day before. They were watched, the concealment was noted, and they were stopped. The 20-year-old had six clothing items worth $63.94 and her companion had 12 items worth $144.90.

Last Monday

At 11:15 a.m., two men thought to be from their mid-20s to 30 years old committed a grab and run theft from Macy’s at Mayfair Mall, snatching up armloads of apparel worth about $700 and running out the doors. They jumped into a Buick sedan and left. Police were unable to locate them, and they believed the license plates on the car were likely stolen as they were registered to a Green Bay man.

April 7

At 3:17 p.m., a 23-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for theft, possession of marijuana and on a felony warrant after he was stopped at Boston Store at Mayfair Mall for trying to steal two pairs of $68 jeans. He had 4.4 grams of marijuana in seven small bags on him and had a felony warrant for violation of probation.

At 2:45 p.m., a 20-year-old Milwaukee woman was arrested for theft and obstruction after she was caught with a foil-lined bag containing two pairs of jeans worth $336 retail from the Buckle store at Mayfair Mall. She gave police a fictitious name and claimed she had no ID card but admitted who she was after police offered to take her to the station for a Morpho Touch fingerprint check.

A 21-year-old Wauwatosa man was arrested on suspicion of burglary after his aunt, a resident of the 9600 block of Palmetto Avenue, reported that she believed he had been entering her home and stealing money from her on a regular basis, probably to support a drug addiction. The young man admitted he had stolen from his aunt and also that he was addicted to Oxycontin, a prescription narcotic.

A resident of the 2500 block of North 64^th Street reported that overnight someone entered her unlocked car in her driveway and stole a GPS unit. Officers investigated two more auto entries in the same block, and a suspect was seen fleeing on a bicycle from the scene of one of them at 1:21 a.m. He abandoned his bike and escaped. No adequate description was taken.

April 6

At 9:15 a.m., a 23-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested for possession of marijuana, prowling and on an outstanding Milwaukee County warrant after a caller reported him entering cars in the 11800 block of West North Avenue. He and his car were searched and no stolen property was found, but about half an ounce of marijuana was.