CUDAHY -- Three men have been charged in three separate burglary incidents in Cudahy. 19-year-old Jarrett Michalowski and 20-year-old Brandon Yaeger have been charged with two counts of burglary (building or dwelling) as party to a crime, and 22-year-old Scott Wise-Yaeger has been charged with one count of burglary (building or dwelling) as party to a crime. All three men are from Cudahy.
The criminal complaint in the case says the first burglary incident occurred in late November, in the 4500 block of S. Packard in Cudahy. A man reported his burglary alarm woke him up in the middle of the night, and he went to his garage and noticed the door had been kicked open, his car had been entered, and a gift card for Burlington Coat Factory was missing from the car. The man says he cancelled the card the next morning.
The complaint says Yaeger and Michalowski tried to use the cancelled card the next day, and were captured by surveillance video.
The second incident occurred in mid-December, in the 3800 block of E. Whitaker Avenue in Cudahy. A man reported someone kicked in his garage door, and stole alcoholic beverages from a refrigerator, and speakers from a car. The criminal complaint states an empty wine cooler bottle was left behind.
The third incident occurred in mid-January, in the 3800 block of E. Allerton Avenue in Cudahy. A man reported that a GPS device had been taken out of his car that he had parked in his garage. The criminal complaint states that Wise-Yaeger admitted to police that he had served as a lookout during this incident, and stood in an alley to watch for police. He says he saw a neighbor shoveling snow, and notified Yaeger and Michalowski, and the three ran to Yaeger's house, where police caught them.
When Cudahy police interviewed Yaeger and Michalowski, both admitted entering and stealing from a number of garages in November, December and January. The complaint says Michalowski estimated he had entered between 40 and 60 garages and vehicles in the Cudahy area. Yaeger estimated he had entered about 50 garages and vehicles.
Each of the two burglary charges Yaeger and Michalowski face are felony charges, and each include penalties of $25,000 in fines, and 12 years and six months in prison, or both.
Wise-Yaeger is facing one felony charge, with penalties of $25,000 in fines and 12 years and six months in prison.