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14-year-old charged in Milwaukee summer kidnapping
Prosecutors say 14-year-old Barry Coleman orchestrated a July kidnapping that triggered an AMBER Alert in Milwaukee and is now being charged as an adult after the child was found unharmed.
MILWAUKEE - A 14-year-old accused of orchestrating the kidnapping of a Milwaukee child over the summer is now being charged as an adult, prosecutors said Monday, marking the latest development in a case that triggered a citywide search and an AMBER Alert.
What we know:
Prosecutors say Barry Coleman, 14, was the mastermind behind the July abduction of a 7-year-old boy taken at gunpoint near 61st and Hustis before being held at a home miles away. Court filings say two people with guns jumped out, one chasing the boy’s father while the other grabbed the child and carried him to the vehicle.
The child was recovered unharmed about a day later.
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"This is the last leg of one of the biggest crimes that allegedly occurred this summer," said Barry Phillips, a court commissioner. "For 24 hours, not only held a 7-year-old hostage, but the city was held hostage."
Coleman is the third and final suspect to be charged in the case. Prosecutors say the group originally planned to rob the boy’s mother, whom Coleman described as a "big-time drug dealer," but the situation escalated when he grabbed the child.
"Most people don’t want to believe a 14-year-old can be so devious," Phillips said. "I’m not one of those people."
According to prosecutors, Coleman acted alongside 25-year-old Corey Williams and 38-year-old Fabian Johnson. A criminal complaint says the group attempted to demand a $100,000 ransom.
What they're saying:
"It’s really a horrifying event," said Janette Corbett, a prosecutor in the case.
Court records say Coleman had recently been released to a residential treatment center following a heroin-related case when the kidnapping occurred.
"He was given a break for that crime at that residential treatment center and then immediately committed this offense," Corbett said.
Milwaukee boy kidnapped near 61st and Hustis, man charged in court
A Milwaukee man accused of kidnapping a 7-year-old boy on the city's north side made his initial appearance in court. His bond was set at $100,000.
Coleman was arrested in July and has been held at Lincoln Hills since then.
Dig deeper:
He now faces adult charges that include kidnapping as party to a crime with use of a dangerous weapon, taking hostages, possession of a firearm by an adjudicated delinquent, and possession of a dangerous weapon by a minor.
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His cash bond was set at $100,000.
"I set $100,000 because that was the ransom you guys allegedly requested," Phillips said.
Prosecutors say Coleman later discussed the kidnapping during a recorded phone call with his father, who is currently in state prison.
Court cases against the two adult co-defendants are still moving through the system.
What's next:
A preliminary hearing in Coleman’s case is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 8.
Milwaukee boy kidnapped near 61st and Hustis; Fabian Johnson charged
Another person is now charged in the plot to abduct a 7-year-old Milwaukee boy.
The Source: Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.