A suspected car thief becomes a sitting duck thanks to technology. One suspect is in custody and another is still on the run after allegedly stealing a vehicle around 4:00 a.m. Tuesday from a Franklin neighborhood.
Police said they were able to watch the thieves' every move. A GPS tracking device the owner had in his SUV allowed police to follow their trail.
For several hours Tuesday morning a stolen black Nissan SUV could be seen traveling all over Milwaukee with Franklin police not too far behind. Franklin Police Chief Rick Oliva said the owner of the vehicle left it unlocked overnight near 58th and Drexel leading to a crime of opportunity.
"They were able to enter using a garage door opener," Oliva said. "The suspects entered the home and took some property including car keys and his vehicle."
It’s an unnerving thought for neighbors like Mark Ariens.
"I have a wife who always tells me to take my remote out of my car and put it in the house, which I do sometimes, but this is just bringing more awareness on that," he said.
The owner told TODAY’S TMJ4 he woke up, called police, then turned on his mobile tracking device he got from his cell phone provider. It shows his vehicle’s every move.
"One of our officers was able to track the movement and the path of the vehicle by an app on a phone," Oliva said.
At one point, the thieves stopped at a gas station at Keefe and Holton. A suspect, who Franklin police said was later arrested, could be seen inside the store getting change to fill up the car tires. Video shows them take off and police hop right back on their tail.
"Our intention and hope was to maybe spike the tires which we were not able to do because of the frequent changes of direction," Oliva said.
The search narrowed in outside Rufus King High School where the stolen car was abandoned. One of the suspects was surrounded and provided medical attention before being taken into custody. The school briefly went on lockdown.
"Our best efforts were to keep our students safe because we did not know what was going on," said school Principal Tanzanique Carrington.
Oliva said if the owner of the stolen vehicle didn't have a GPS tracking device inside, their search could have been more difficult.
"It would have probably resulted in a high-speed pursuit which we try to avoid," said Oliva.
Franklin Police said the suspect who was arrested is believed to be connected to a spree of carjackings across Milwaukee County. Franklin police also put out a warning to car thieves on Tuesday. The department has deployed 'bait vehicles' with GPS tracking devices. Police hope their efforts will discourage thieves from taking cars in the first place.
