MILWAUKEE — Patricia Lewis said in just four days this month, someone made two attempts on her life. She felt her last choice was to come to us with her story.
"I feel displaced. I feel like I’m in a perpetual nightmare," said Lewis.
At the core of her story is a case of domestic violence involving her daughter, one that has spun out of control and now appears to be threatening her life as well as other family members.
RELATED: Milwaukee family in hiding after apparent attempts on their lives
On Sunday, Nov. 20, someone shot into her bedroom from outside her Milwaukee home, and the bullet struck her in the right leg where it remains.
Lewis' family fled her home and went into hiding that day.
Then, on Thanksgiving morning, someone tried to burn down her house. Police are investigating the shooting and the fire, which they've determined to be arson.
“Even now I don’t feel safe where I’m at," said Lewis. "You know that 100 percent safe? Cause you don’t know when you go to that extent to hurt someone.”
New records we obtained show Lewis' daughter's ex-boyfriend is a person of interest in her shooting.
According to a criminal complaint, the ex has been charged with false imprisonment, misdemeanor battery, and bail jumping.
He's accused of kidnapping Lewis' daughter nine days before the shooting and using violence, including shooting a gun into the air, to threaten her into staying.
The daughter, who we are not naming for her safety, told investigators the man beat her repeatedly.
In Milwaukee County, there are 9,000 intimate partner violence victims every year, according to Sojourner Truth House.
And this year alone, 43 women have been killed so far in Milwaukee County, which is up from 37 in all of 2021.
We're also not naming the accused man yet because he has not been charged in connection with the crimes at Lewis' home.
“First thing, you know, I need the perpetrator to be apprehended. I need him to be where he can’t hurt anybody anymore, and I won’t feel safe until that happens," said Lewis.
Milwaukee County issued two arrest warrants for the ex-boyfriend last week over the false imprisonment and bail jumping charges as well as violating a restraining order.
Lewis is convinced he's the one torturing her family. She said he began making threats against her years ago, and now he's finally following through.
"He would always tell her [daughter], if I can't get to her, I'll get to your family. That was always the threat," said Lewis.
