Mayfair Mall stolen car arrests, police response captured on video

WAUWATOSA, Wis. - Two people are now charged after Wauwatosa police said they were caught in the Mayfair Mall parking lot with a stolen car last week.

A witness said he hopes video of their arrest sends a strong message. Dennis Culps said he knew when he saw the scene unfolding in real life that he needed to make sure others could see it, too.

"It was like watching a movie," said Culps. "Sometimes that stuff gets out of hand."

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Culps said, form his viewpoint, officers did what they had to do. 

"These cats out here need to be aware it ain’t no game," he said.

Viewer video from Mayfair Mall stolen car arrest (Courtesy: Dennis Culps)

Police said the Nissan Altima in question was an Enterprise rental car that was listed as stolen. An officer came upon it Oct. 2 in the mall parking lot. Police also provided their footage of the encounter. When the driver and passenger returned from the mall, officers were ready. Police said the driver drove into a parked car, then threw the Nissan in reverse.

"I seen them busting the windows out, and I heard the dog barking," Culps said.

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Video shows an officer break a window and pull a man out of the driver's seat before putting him in handcuffs. Officers arrested the woman in the passenger seat, too.

"There’s a lot of car stealing going on, and these folks ain’t playing with y’all," said Culps.

Culps said it just shows, if you steal a car, you must make a return to reality at some point. He hopes it will show others what happens when the law catches up to them.

"I hope somebody sees the video I took, and it helps them understand that ‘look, maybe I don’t want to do this,’" he said. "And please don’t go to the mall in it, please don’t."

In addition to being accused of driving the car without consent, the man in the driver's seat is also charged with meth possession and resisting an officer.