WAUWATOSA — A teenage boy has been charged after prosecutors say he stole a vehicle that was tracked to an alley alongside another stolen vehicle.
The 16-year-old is facing one count of operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent, a party to a crime, and one count of resisting an officer.
According to the criminal complaint, the charges stem from a February 11 incident. On that day, a man contacted Wauwatosa police and said his work truck, a 2018 silver Chevrolet Silverado, had been stolen from his driveway.
When police began investigating, they discovered the stolen vehicle had tracking capabilities. A detective with the Wauwatosa Police Department, Detective Keck, tracked the vehicle to the area of 57th and Silver Spring.
Keck went to that area in an unmarked squad car and found the truck which was being followed by a blue Honda. The complaint says dispatch told Keck the Honda was also stolen.
Prosecutors say the vehicle drove into an alleyway and parked. That's when Keck activated his squad lights and told the occupants of the stolen truck to put their hands up.
The complaint states Officer Keck saw the defendant exit the driver's seat and flee the scene.
Later, Wauwatosa police located the suspect at a garage a few blocks away. Both the defendant and another occupant of the truck were inside and placed under arrest.
The other occupant of the vehicle, identified in the complaint as ADK, gave a statement to the police. He said he saw the defendant break into the truck and steal it. He said they then met up with two others in an alleyway where the officers arrested them.
The 16-year-old defendant also gave a statement, saying he was picked up in the blue Honda by someone named "Montae." He claims he was asleep while Montae drove a group of four people to Wauwatosa.
The teen went on to say he was woken up by Montae, who told him to drive the blue Honda so Montae could steal the truck.
In regard to the fleeing, the defendant told police that when officers showed up, he got scared and ran. He said he has no motivation for driving in stolen cars, but told police he does sell cars to people without vehicle titles.
