Crime spree: Man may be responsible for stolen cars, robberies, even murder

GREENFIELD (WITI) -- Federal authorities plan to meet with police from several communities to determine just how widespread a crime spree is. A man is being held in jail while an investigation that links him to stolen cars, armed robberies and possibly even murder continues.

FOX6 News is not naming the suspect now in the Milwaukee County Jail.

But information in documents from a search warrant affidavit spell out the numerous crimes the suspect -- who is a felon, may be charged with in the future.

If he is in fact charged, police in several jurisdictions will be clearing up some unsolved cases.

Police were searching for a suspect accused of robbing numerous auto supply stores and gas stations at gunpoint since March in Racine, Greenfield and Mount Pleasant.

The common thread: The suspect hid his face in a dark hood -- and he had an unusual two-toned handgun.

"That was our main connection item that we used in all the surveillance videos. All the agencies came together," Sgt. Sean Licht with the Greenfield Police Department said.

Near the scene of many of the crimes, officials located a discarded Honda -- stolen from an unsuspecting owner.

Police say the suspect had a filed down key that could start the stolen cars.

A few days ago, the man's string of robberies hit a snag at a Greenfield Shell station.

Police say the suspect made off with money, but left his getaway car in the lot with the motor running.

A customer snuck in and took the key.

When the suspect came out -- he couldn't start the car, and had to run away on foot -- but not before firing a shot into the gas station.

Police traced the getaway car to a group of roommates in Milwaukee. At first, it seems police thought they were linked to the suspect.

"It was like three o'clock in the morning and they had their guns drawn," one of the roommates said.

The roommate who owned the car went out and noticed his car was stolen.

"It was shocking. You don't think it happens to you -- especially in this neighborhood," one of the roommates said.

Police arrested the man in Milwaukee.

Inside his car, now at a Greenfield impound lot -- police say they found the two-toned handgun.

Shortly after his arrest, Milwaukee police discovered the same suspect was wanted for a homicide, linked through DNA -- and a warrant had been issued for his arrest for that crime.

It is a complicated web of crime that police in several communities, as well as the FBI are still working to sort out -- even tracing one stolen Honda from Wisconsin to Massachusetts -- where it was dumped after the suspect allegedly went there to visit family.

Law enforcement officials are meeting next week to see where the investigation is heading.

There is no word on which homicide may be part of the crime spree.