A new Milwaukee family's van has been stolen not once, but twice from the same spot in a matter of weeks.
Nathan Jackson and his family did not get the welcome to their new neighborhood in Riverwest that they had been expecting.
Two weeks ago, on March 29, Jackson forgot something for work in his place, so he left the van with the keys in it and ran upstairs. He was grabbing the item and could see someone pulling up to his Ford Freestar.
"I was like, 'Somebody stopped right there. Oh wow, somebody is stealing my car,'" said Jackson. "It happened within 30 seconds."
Police found the 2005 Ford a few days later, pretty damaged.
"There was a flat tire, it didn't really start and broken taillights, front end, rear end damage," said Jackson.
Milwaukee Police had it towed it to his house and left it in the same spot it was taken near Booth and Locust Streets. That's when it disappeared again.
"The person who had taken it the first time might have still had the key to it and came back," said Jackson.
Police found the van a few days later and chased it. The people inside crashed into a tree.
They arrested an 18-year-old, two 15-year-old and a 14-year-old boy inside. The van is totaled in the impound lot where Jackson is not sure if he will even get it out.
"We're possibly chalking it up to a complete loss," said Jackson.
But despite all this Jackson said his family is not writing off their new city.
"We love Milwaukee. It has its blessing and its curses. We still want to be natives here," said Jackson.
Milwaukee Police say they will be presenting the car theft case involving the teens to the District Attorney's office in the upcoming days.
