Teen Makes His Way All Over North Shore Before Caught with Stolen Bike

A 17-year-old Milwaukee teen thought he could trade up his stolen bike for another.

Little did he know that five North Shore police departments would work together, chasing him through two villages before getting both bikes back to their respective owners.

While officers were in route to a home in the 6400 block of North Berkeley Blvd. for a burglary call, around 12:35 a.m. July 19, they noticed a teenager riding a bicycle east on School Road and then turning north onto the 6400 block of North Santa Monica Blvd.

According to the report:

When officers arrived on scene, they found the garage door open and two vehicles parked inside. There was also a bicycle lying in the driveway about six feet from the garage door. When the met the homeowner, a 57-year-old Fox Point man, he told officers he had left the garage door open when he arrived at 7:45 p.m. because it was very warm inside.

The victim didn't find anything missing from either vehicle, however, he said that his bicycle was missing from the ceiling hooks and the one lying in the driveway was not his.

Officers took that bike into inventory, and asked another officer to check on the teen they saw earlier on the bike. They also notified Bayside, River Hills, Whitefish Bay and Glendale police departments.

A Whitefish Bay officer found the teen matching the description the other officer gave riding a bicycle in the 6200 block of North Santa Monica Blvd. The teen saw the officer, threw the bike on the ground and began running between homes.

At 1:24 p.m., a River Hills officer had found the teen walking north from the backyard of a home in the 6300 block of North Lake Drive and detained him.

Officers discovered the thief was wanted on a warrant by the state Department of Corrections. He was cited for theft and trespassing by Fox Point police, and criminal damage to property and loitering/prowling by Whitefish Bay police before being turned over to the Milwaukee County Juvenile Detention Facility.

While being interviewed by Fox Point officers, he said he had left a friend’s house in Shorewood at 12:30 a.m. when he decided to try and get some money. He walked to Bayshore Mall and found a black Honda Civic in the Sears parking lot, unlocked, and removed the a beer can "coozie" with $12.46 change inside.

He told officers he went north about two blocks after that on an unknown street, near the cemetery, where he stole the black bike from an open garage. He continued until he got to Fox Point man's residence, where he traded up the bike for the red one.

The owner of the black bike came in to claim it on July 20.