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Wauwatosa police warn residents about recent carjackings along North Avenue

4 carjackings reported in last 4 days
Posted at 12:47 PM, Jul 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-19 11:56:30-04
The east side of Wauwatosa has been hit four times in four days by a group of armed carjackers.

"It's really sad," said neighbor Isabell Torres.

"It's crazy," said Ryan George, whose neighbor was carjacked. "I really didn't think it would happen here."

The carjackings started on Friday. The first at 4 p.m. at Tosa Liquor on North Avenue.

A day later and a block away, a woman was held up at 4 p.m. in her driveway near 66th Street and North Avenue. 

The next day, Sunday, a car was taken at two in the afternoon at 67th and Wright Streets. Finally, Monday morning around 6:30 a.m., a woman had her car taken near 74th Street and North Avenue.

Police say the carjackers would look for someone getting in or out of their car, point a gun at them, demanding their keys and then taking off with their vehicle.

"The group of individuals that's involved are definitely related to not only these four incidents but some others that are occurring in the City of Milwaukee," said Lt. Brian Zalewski of the Wauwatosa Police Department.

A man whose neighbor was carjacked says she was just going about her day when the people approached.

"She had just gotten home and was unloading some stuff from her car," George said.

It has other people who live nearby saying they are going straight into their garage from now on.

"I just pull right into the driveway, get my purse just like nothing's going to happen," Torres said.

Residents also plan to watch out around their neighborhood.

Police say the carjacking crew is two men and two women anywhere between the ages of 14 to 21.  They say they are stealing the cars to commit other crimes. So far all but one of the cars taken has been recovered.