Milwaukee robbery, police chase; woman said she stole to "pay her bills"
Taniah Williams
MILWAUKEE -
A 21-year-old Milwaukee woman is accused of stealing from Walmart stores in metro Milwaukee. The accused is Taniah Holland – and she faces the following criminal counts:
- Robbery, armed
- Burglary of a building or dwelling
- Second-degree recklessly endangering safety
- Vehicle operator flee/elude officer causing damage to property
- Drive or operate a vehicle without owner's consent
- Armed robbery
Dec. 6 incident
According to the criminal complaint, Greendale police were dispatched on Friday, Dec. 6 to the Walmart on S. 76th Street for a report of a theft. When officers arrived on the scene, they learned a woman "took a set of master keys from an employee in the store and threatened the employee with a gun that the suspect had concealed in her waistband," the complaint says.
An employee told police the suspect approached him in the electronics section of the store. He recognized her from an incident in November "where this same individual had stolen a PlayStation 5 from the electronics department when he was working," the complaint says. The worker said the suspect demanded his keys multiple times -- and then told him "to give her the keys because she did not want to hurt him and pulled a black handgun from her waistband and demanded the keys," the complaint says. The employee handed the keys and walked away. That worker told a manager what happened -- and they called 911.
Dec. 14 incident
The complaint says on Saturday, Dec. 14, Greendale police were once again called to the Walmart for a report of a theft. Officers were advised the suspect may be the same person wanted for armed robbery on Dec. 6. When police arrived, they were told the subject had entered a silver SUV after leaving the store. Officers spotted a silver SUV and activated their lights and sirens to conduct a traffic stop. But the complaint says the driver of the SUV accelerated away from officers and refused to pull over.
Greendale police began to chase the suspect. Speeds "exceeded 90 mph in residential neighborhoods with posted 35 mph speed limits," the complaint says. The driver of the SUV also "failed to stop at lights and stop signs and then turned east and took the ramp onto northbound I-43. At this time the SUV was driving near 100 mph in a posted 55 mph zone," the complaint says. The driver of the SUV weaved through traffic on the interstate. Greendale police terminated its pursuit -- and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office took over.
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During the police chase on the freeway, speeds reached 115 mph, the complaint says. When the SUV exited the freeway at Capitol Drive, the driver "started driving in the wrong lane of traffic and passed several vehicles, forcing them out of its way as it drove at them head on," the complaint says. At Capitol and Appleton, the SUV struck a car. The wreck disabled both vehicles. The driver of the SUV, later identified as the defendant, was taken into custody. Law enforcement also learned the SUV was reported stolen on Dec. 11 in Greenfield.
In all, the criminal complaint says the police chase involving the defendant "lasted approximately 14 miles with a top speed of 115 mph. The defendant nearly struck 25 vehicles as she was traveling the wrong way down city streets." The defendant never had a valid driver's license.
Nov. 4 incident
On Nov. 4, West Milwaukee police were dispatched to the Walmart on W. Greenfield Avenue for a weapons complaint. Officers spoke with a person who indicated "she was working in the order pickup area when a suspect wearing a black mask, a black hoodie and black pants stole their computer monitor," the complaint says. The suspect pointed a black handgun at the woman, the complaint says.
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The complaint goes on to say when the suspect ran to the exit door, it did not open -- because an employee must do so. The "suspected pointed the gun at (the employee) and said, 'Open the (expletive) door,' so the person could leave." The employee complied -- and the suspect fled the store with the computer monitor.
Video of the West Milwaukee incident was captured on surveillance video.
Mirandized interviews
On Dec. 14, West Milwaukee police conducted an interview of the defendant and she "admitted that she is the person who robbed the Walmart of the computer monitor in West Milwaukee," the complaint says. Holland "stated that she had a BB gun and pulled it out but denied pointing it at anyone. The defendant was advised that the video shows her pointing the gun at the employee," the complaint says.
On Dec. 15, Holland was interviewed by Greendale police. The defendant "admitted that she is the person who robbed the Walmart in Greendale on 11/17/24 and stole the PlayStation 5 and robbed the Walmart in Greendale again on 12/6/24 and stole the master keys," the complaint says. The defendant "admitted taking two big screen televisions, putting them by the door and leading them into the silver SUV and then fleeing from the store," the complaint says. The defendant also admitted that she saw officers "following her with their lights on and heard sirens, but she was trying to get away," the complaint says.
The defendant told Greendale police "she committed these crimes because she lost her job and needed to pay her bills, so she got the idea that she would steal merchandise and sell it for cash to pay her bills," the complaint says."
Holland made her initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Cash bond was set at $10,000.