Vehicle stolen in Milwaukee; Illinois woman charged, arrested in Racine County

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Laura Williams

RACINE COUNTY - An Illinois woman has been criminally charged – accused of stealing a vehicle from Milwaukee on Jan. 6. She was arrested in Racine County on Jan. 7 during a traffic stop. 

Prosecutors charged 38-year-old Laura Williams of Champaign, Illinois with the following: 

• Take and drive vehicle without owner's consent, 2nd offense
• Obstructing an officer
• Two counts of felony bail jumping

Case details

The backstory:

According to the criminal complaint, around 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 7, a deputy with the Racine County Sheriffs Office was notified by Wisconsin State Patrol that a stolen vehicle had just hit on a Flock camera on southbound I-41 and was entering Racine County from Milwaukee County. 

The State Patrol advised that the vehicle, a gray 2007 Honda Accord, had led a Mequon Police Department officer on a pursuit earlier in the night.

Court filings say the Racine deputy located the vehicle at a Petro Gas Station on S. Sylvania Avenue in the Village of Sturtevant. A high-risk stop was conducted -- and the lone occupant was taken into custody.

The criminal complaint says the occupant identified herself as "Renee Smith." She stated she had no middle name and provided a date of birth. The deputy conducted a check for this information and received nothing on file. 

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The woman then verbally identified as "Lauren Williams" and stated she had no middle name with a different date of birth. 

According to the complaint, when the deputy ran this name, he received a near hit for a warrant out of Ohio for "Laura R. Williams," with the same date of birth. The deputy observed a second warrant out of Minnesota for the same individual, "Laura R. Williams," same date of birth. 

Shortly after, the deputy was able to confirm that the person in custody was Laura R. Williams, via a prior mug shot and an Illinois driver's file photo.

According to court filings, Williams told the deputy she borrowed the car from someone named "Jenny" in Milwaukee and took it for a "joyride." The deputy noted that Williams "seemed confused as if she was making up a fake story," the complaint states. 

Williams then stated that she stole the vehicle because she had court coming up in Illinois, and she needed a way to get to court. She later changed her story, telling the deputy she picked the car up and didn't know it was stolen. 

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Per the complaint, the deputy made contact with the owner of the vehicle, who reported that he was working in Milwaukee on Jan. 6, 2026 when his vehicle was stolen. The owner stated that he turned his vehicle on to get warm and walked away for approximately two minutes. When he returned, the vehicle was gone.

A full criminal records check shows that on Dec. 5, 2025, Williams was convicted in Madison County, Illinois, on a charge of Aid/Abet/Possess/Sell Stolen Vehicle. She also has a charge out of Missouri for 'Felony Tampering with Motor Vehicle — 1st Degree.

Court proceedings

Dig deeper:

Williams made her initial appearance in court on Jan. 8. Cash bond was set at $10,000. 

Her preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 15.