Milwaukee carjackings up; woman recalls intense experience
MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Police Department is urging drivers to stay alert following a significant rise in carjackings.
The city's latest numbers show these crimes have jumped 20% in the last year.
July 23 started like any other day would for Theresa Fox. But in a matter of minutes, things turned the opposite direction.
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"It was terrifying, but I was at ease," Fox said. "I had been doing some errands, I pulled into the alley, went down to my garage. All the sudden, I see two people come up underneath the garage, one with a gun in his hand, and he is hollering at me saying ‘give me the keys.’"
Theresa Fox
Fox said a man pointed a gun at her head.
"He says ‘get out,’ then he grabs me by the shoulder and pulls me out of the car," Fox said.
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A neighbor's security camera captured the suspects just before they stole Fox's car and everything inside.
"Stepped on the gas and I could just hear the tire rubbing and went down the alley," she recalled.
Hours later on that same day, police recovered Fox’s vehicle near the intersection of 41st and Burleigh.
Police say the two unknown suspects got away.
Fox is one of more than 400 people who've been carjacked this year. It’s a trend police say is only going up.
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City data shows carjackings have jumped by 20% year to date.
"It makes you really think about what can happen to you, but also what is happening to our communities," Fox said. "What is happening to our kids?"
Police say they're seeing more young people involved in these crimes.
"They are going to end up dead, or they are going to end up in prison," Fox said. "Being a parent, is that you have to talk to your children."