Man forces way into Wauwatosa home, assaults owner

A man pretending to represent a tree service, burglarized a Wauwatosa home and got violent with the owner last week.

According to a Wauwatosa Police Department reports:

A resident of the 4100 block of North 93rd Street heard knocking at her door at 11:28 a.m. Dec. 28. She was not expecting visitors, so she ignored it until the knocking became incessant.

The man at the door said he was there from a tree service, but she had not made an appointment. He asked to use her bathroom before leaving, but she said no and started shutting the door. He pushed it back open forcing her to fall back into a closet. He grabbed her by the shoulders and demanded money.

She was pushed down the stairs and he forced her to take him through the house looking for jewelry and other valuables. When she screamed, he threatened to hurt her.

Eventually, she hid in a closet while he continued to search the house. When she believed he was gone, she exited and called police.

The homeowner told officers she was not hurt but that she had feared for her life.

Two other residents reported a man coming to their door with similar stories and features. In the 4100 block of 93rd Street, a man asked a girl if her parents were home about 11 a.m.

In the 2400 block of 69th Street, a man rang the doorbell and asked if the resident wanted her garage painted. She declined, so he asked to use her bathroom. Then he tried to open the storm door but it was locked, so she closed the interior door and called police.