Suspect stole phone, stabbed victim and set his car on fire in separate incidents



MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee police need your help identifying a suspect responsible for a stabbing and arson late Saturday, Sept. 15 and early Sunday, Sept. 16 -- stemming from a stolen cellphone.

There was no alarm clock needed for Thomas Shropshire's Sunday morning shift.

"I was getting up to go to work and I heard a pop. Sounded like a gun fired," said Shropshire.

Shropshire lives on 26th Street near Mineral. He ran to his balcony and discovered the early wake-up call wasn't someone shooting.

"I looked out there and I saw the flames and the smoke. The flames were about 100 feet in the air. The smoke was maybe another 100 feet in the air," said Shropshire.



Another man, who didn't want to be identified, said it was his car that was on fire. He had just gotten back from the hospital and recorded video of it burning.

Milwaukee police said a suspect captured by surveillance cameras on a bicycle in the area set the vehicle on fire hours after targeting the victim three times.



Around 10:30 p.m. Saturday, the victim said he planned to meet the suspect at Walgreens on National to retrieve his cellphone. He said the suspect had stolen it earlier in the day from his car.

Instead, the suspect demanded $100. The victim said he refused, and grabbed a young woman who was with the suspect in an attempt to scare them. That's when the suspect took out a knife and slashed the victim before he and the accomplice ran off.



While the victim's wounds were nearly healed and the charred car removed from the area Tuesday, Sept. 18, signs of the arson remained as police searched for the suspect -- asking for your help.



 

Police described the suspect as a male, Hispanic, between the ages of 17 and 19, weighing 150 pounds. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and gray shorts. He was last seen riding a black, 20” bike with neon green rims.

If you have any information, please call 414-935-7360.