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Milwaukee airport luggage theft; 1 arrested, 1 sought
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office arrested a man who they say was stealing luggage from the baggage carousel at Mitchell International Airport.
MILWAUKEE - Deputies with the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office arrested a man who they say was stealing luggage from the baggage carousel at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
Going to the baggage carousel only to find your luggage stolen would ruin everything for many travelers – especially those flying home for the holiday.
"It would be very devastating because the whole point of dragging all these bags with me is to give a little holiday cheer to my family," traveler Jenn Volk said.
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Volk's worry became reality for one traveler this week. The sheriff's office said Delta Airlines employees reported a passenger’s luggage was missing from a carousel on Wednesday, Dec. 21. An MCSO supervisor instructed deputies to check the airport grounds and surrounding area – including bus stops.
While checking the surface lot bus stop, a deputy spotted a man dragging two bags. The man boarded a transit bus and left the two bags behind at the bus stop.
Mitchell International Airport baggage claim
"He immediately left the two bags at the bus stop and boarded the bus, which is strange," said MCSO Sgt. Roberto Hernandez. "Nobody leaves their luggage just laying there."
Two sheriff's deputies boarded the bus and took the 50-year-old Milwaukee man into custody as part of the theft investigation. Authorities said he refused to cooperate. However, deputies scoured security cameras to see where the luggage as taken from and saw the same man wearing the same clothes grabbing it from a carousel. He then walked toward the bus stop where he gave one of the stolen bags to a yet-to-be-identified man and continued to the surface lot where he was spotted and arrested.
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"We’re at the right place at the right time," said Hernandez.
The Milwaukee man was arrested on three misdemeanor charges of theft. Deputies later learned he also had an existing violation of probation warrant out for his arrest. Additional evidence was uncovered that suggests the man may have stolen other baggage from Mitchell International Airport on Nov. 28.
Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office
The unidentified man is still being sought.
"It’s good we have law enforcement to keep an eye on things to make sure we are in a position to give our gifts to our loved ones," Volk said.
Officials said to never leave your bags unattended, and if you do see something, say something.
Mitchell International Airport baggage claim
What to do about stolen luggage
The sheriff's office has the stolen luggage for evidence right now but will soon return it.
If ever your baggage is stolen, MCSO encourages you to quickly report it to airport authorities and on-site law enforcement, freeze or cancel any credit or debit cards that were in your baggage.
If your cellphone was in your bags, contact your service provider to disable or lock your phone. Lastly, contact your insurance company, if relevant, to file a claim.