3 teens arrested in rash of Waukesha burglaries

Published on: 7/29/2009

Waukesha — Three teenagers have been arrested in connection with a series of brazen home invasions and car heists after they crashed a vehicle they were stealing into a home, fled and were tracked by officers with the help of police dogs, authorities said.

The three are believed to be part of a crew that has been breaking into homes and cars and taking valuables, as well as stealing vehicles, over the last 18 months, Waukesha police Capt. Mark Stigler said. 'Basically, a roving group of thieves was rampaging through the city taking everything that was not tied down,' Stigler said.

Jamal Human, 17, of Waukesha, Roderick D. King, 17, who has no permanent address, and Roy Morgan Jr., 18, who also has no permanent address, were each charged with burglary Wednesday, according to a criminal complaint filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court. Each also was charged with bail jumping.

The three were arrested after a home in the 100 block of Cook St. was broken into shortly after 11 p.m. Monday.

'What sets this incident and the others apart is the fact that the residents were asleep in their beds when the break-in occurred, and they (burglars) had hit the house next door the night before,' Stigler said in a news release.

A neighbor alerted police to the Monday night burglary, and the call was instrumental in leading to the arrests of the three teens, Stigler said.

Stigler said homes were entered through unlocked doors and unsecured garages. In some cases, the thieves cut screens and entered homes through open windows, he said.

Among the items taken were laptop computers, purses, global positioning system devices, cell phones, iPods and cars, Stigler said in an interview.

The three teens were out of jail on bail in connection with charges that included driving a vehicle without the owner's consent, Stigler said.

Stigler also said the three had served time in juvenile detention for similar crimes.

Waukesha police are encouraging residents to call authorities at (262) 524-3831 if they see suspicious activity.

Stigler said steps to make homes and vehicles less of a target for thieves include:

• Locking all windows and doors at night, including garage and porch doors. If windows must be open for ventilation, they should be open only a few inches and the tops of windows should be blocked to keep them from being pushed open from the outside.

• Leaving some lights on inside and out to make the home look occupied.

• Avoiding placing purses, wallets, cell phones, iPods or car keys on tabletops that can be seen through a window.

• Locking car doors and not leaving anything of value in plain sight in vehicles.