Robbery suspects lead police on chase in cemetery

Feb. 23, 2011

Police arrested two people for armed robbery after conducting a manhunt in Wauwatosa Cemetery on Friday night.

According to the Wauwatosa police report:

Two men were riding a Milwaukee County bus from the east end of Milwaukee. When they exited at 88th Street and North Avenue, they were followed by three other riders. Soon afterward, one of the men was pushed, and he turned around to see a gun pointed at his face. The robber hit him in the face with the gun and said, "Gimme your stuff."

The two victims emptied their pockets. As the three robbers - police were still looking for the third as of Tuesday night  - took off, one said, "Don't follow us or we'll cap you."

As officers arrived, they saw the three robbers climb the cemetery fence. Milwaukee police and Waukesha County sheriff's deputies and their dogs were called in to help track them. A 17-year-old Milwaukee boy was apprehended first with some of the stolen items and marijuana in his possession.

Officers used a public address system that could be heard throughout the property to demand the second person, a 21-year-old Milwaukee man, surrender. When there was no response, the dogs found him hiding in bushes. He was treated for minor injuries to his arm, where one of the dogs had taken hold of him.

An air pellet gun spray-painted black to look like a real semiautomatic weapon was found next to a tombstone along with cell phones, MP3 players and other items that had been taken from the victims. The older robber also had a realistic-looking toy gun in his waistband.

The two people arrested identified the third person they were with for police.

All three men had been arrested on a prior occasion for robbery and beating a victim, but no charges were filed. However, the 17-year-old was on probation for an armed robbery in Milwaukee last June.

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