New Berlin police apprehend robbery suspects with the help of alert citizens
NEW BERLIN (WITI) -- They knocked at the front door, but New Berlin police say a group of burglars from Milwaukee hoped no one would answer. Police say they were able to arrest the suspects thanks to some alert residents.
Dennis Babe says he's still a bit perplexed by what a group of thieves took from his home on Monday, January 5th.
"This $10 Radio Shack headset. I can`t understand their rhyme or reason. There were some much more expensive home electronics, home theater systems that they could`ve taken that would`ve made a lot of sense to me," Babe said.
New Berlin police say they were able to recover Babe's property because neighbors elsewhere in the community were alert.
Captain Michael Glider says the suspects approached a pair of other homes earlier in the day.
The first homeowner reported someone came to the door but left after hearing a dog barking.
At the next house...
"People had come to their door asking for directions and when they went to go retrieve those directions without letting the people in their house, the people were driving away so they thought that was suspicious," Glider said.
The people at both houses gave police a solid description of the suspects and their Jeep.
"That helped us out immensely and we don`t see enough of that and we`d like to really promote more of that," Glider said.
With an alert out in several other communities, Wauwatosa police stopped the suspect vehicle and found Babe's stolen property inside.
The suspects are 54-year-old James Dixon from Milwaukee, and 35-year-old Damien Robinson from Milwaukee.
Damien Robinson, James Dixon
"The material things, they`re replaceable. But the emotions that went on for the intrusion and the fact they felt they could violate my privacy is beyond comprehension," Babe said.
New Berlin police say they got help from police in Wauwatosa, Brookfield, Elm Grove and Mequon in investigating this case.
They say they're still looking into whether these suspects are responsible for a number of other similar burglaries in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties.
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