Milwaukee Police Department Office of Media and Communications
Feb. 16 - Good investigative skills by two District 5 officers lead to the arrest of a suspect who stole a water heater. Officers Richard Gordy and Gary Cole were conducting some follow-up in the 3100 block of North Julia Street at about noon on Feb 15, when the officers noticed some tire marks from a garbage cart in the snow leading from the back of a house to the front. The officers discovered a forced open door in the back and a brick in the basement that had been used to force the door. The officers notified the owner of the entry. The owner told the officers that a water heater was missing.
The officers followed the tire tracks, which led to the back of another house in the 3100 block of N. Julia. The officers spoke with the resident, who told them that an acquaintance came over to borrow some tools. The resident then noticed this suspect taking a water heater into the basement. The officers found the stolen water heater in the basement. A photo array was shown and the resident identified the suspect, a 49-year-old Milwaukee man. The suspect was arrested and told officers he bought the water heater from someone on the street. The suspect is currently on parole for a homicide that occurred in 1990.