Wauwatosa vehicle break-ins; 2 teens arrested
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - Two teenagers are in custody after leading Wauwatosa Police Department officers on a wild ride last week.
Wauwatosa police found the two suspects, 13-years-old and 16-years-old, driving a vehicle that was stolen out of Milwaukee.
This comes after the WPD said they broke into 17 cars in one night.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
Prior to stopping the vehicle, a tire deflation device was used to disable the tires. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, it fled and a pursuit began. The vehicle eventually crashed, and both suspects ran on foot but were quickly apprehended with the help of a K-9.
Via Wauwatosa Police
From her driveway, Christy Sladky said it all started with a hunch from her husband Sam to check their Ring security camera.
It happened after 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, July 24.
"We were sitting there, and Sam said, 'Christy, someone went through your car last night,’" she said.
Sladky admitted she forgot to lock her doors. She said they took off with some spare change, but that was it.
Her neighbors weren't as lucky.
"I was pretty upset I left my doors unlocked, but then I found out that they had broken a bunch of other car doors down the alley, and everyone was vacuuming the glass out of their windows, looking for things that had been stolen," Sladky said.
Turns out, they did a lot of moving.
The WPD shared another surveillance video of the suspects entering another unlocked vehicle and trying to start it.
Police say they took 17 different reports of vehicle break-ins before officers found the suspects in a stolen SUV, deployed stop sticks and chased after them.
That chase eventually ended when the driver crashed in someone's backyard.
Police took the two teenagers in custody, and a loaded firearm was recovered from the stolen vehicle.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
"You know, I just think about what their parents are thinking of knowing that these are kids," Sladky said. "These are high school kids and they're looking for guns and looking to steal cars."
The WPD said they have noticed an increase in vehicle break-ins and the use of stolen cars to commit crimes. They are reminding residents to lock their vehicles and never leave remote key fobs or valet keys in an unoccupied car.
Police also said to remove valuables from vehicles, or keep them out of sight when parked outside.
As for Sladky, her husband has already cleaned out their garage, so they are parking inside from now on.
If you see suspicious behavior, contact WPD at 414-471-8430.