Man cut holes in Milwaukee Food Market roof, stole money, complaint says
Lorne Pearman
MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man blamed his crack cocaine addiction for leading him to burglarize three businesses over 20 days, according to prosecutors. At the Milwaukee Food Market, he allegedly admitted to entering through the roof on separate occasions.
Lorne Pearman, 59, faces four counts of burglary of a building or dwelling.
Prosecutors say he admitted to entering the Milwaukee Food Market on Sept. 16 through a storm shelter door on a roof that was unlocked. He then broke a hole into the roof using a pry bar and screwdriver. Video showed him entering from the roof, according to a criminal complaint. It was later learned power had been turned off at the main breaker for the business. The registers were forced open and $9,000 in cash was taken, along with $11,050 worth of cigarettes. The owner estimated $10,000 worth of damage was done to the roof.
Six days later, on Sept. 22, Pearman told investigators he was back at the Milwaukee Food Market, where he discovered his hole had been covered. The complaint says he removed the tar paper and entered the business, letting in a second man he referred to as "Moe." Video showed Pearman turning off the power to the business, cutting off the video system, according to prosecutors. The complaint says $7,000 to $8,000 worth of product was taken from the store, including $700 to $800 in cash.
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Twelve days later, on Oct. 4, prosecutors say Pearman told investigators he broke a window and entered the Walgreens near 35th and Wisconsin, breaking two security windows inside and a back window to an office. He then took $3,000 worth of cigarettes, the complaint says. Video showed him wearing shoes that were two different colors.
Two days later, on Oct. 6, he allegedly told investigators he used a pry bar to break a window at Marquette University High School before smashing out the window inside that leads to the cafeteria offices. He then opened and emptied two registers, prosecutors say, and removed two TVs. He was caught on camera outside the school wearing shoes that were two different colors.
When he was interviewed by police on Oct. 10, Pearman told them Marquette University police recognized his "Air Jordans."
The criminal complaint also refers to a "couple" burglaries at the Midas at 37th and Wisconsin. According to prosecutors, Pearman initially denied being involved, but he later said he committed the first crime alone and the second with "Moe, Star and Jimbo," taking money and tools from the store. He was not charged for these burglaries, but they were read into the court record in the case.
According to the complaint, Pearman apologized for the crimes, blaming his crack cocaine addiction that started when the Navy veteran claims to have gotten kicked out of the VA in November 2021. He said he started using crack "heavily" at that point.