Milwaukee carjackings, man charged; 1 woman dragged, run over
MILWAUKEE - A 47-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of two carjackings and an attempted carjacking in the city over a period of about a week. The accused is Carlos Rivera-Gonzalez – and he faces the following criminal counts:
- Robbery-use of force (two counts)
- Carjacking-use or threat of force (two counts)
- First-degree reckless injury
- Hit-and-run, great bodily harm
- Attempt armed carjacking
- Attempt armed robbery
Stein's Garden Center (27th & Grange)
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were dispatched on the afternoon of Saturday, June 24 to the Stein's Garden location near 27th and Grange for a carjacking. When officers arrived on the scene, they spoke with a woman who said her SUV was taken by force. The woman told police "the subject asked her if she was from the area and then made statements about needing help. (The woman) told the suspect she only had credit cards and began to get into the driver seat of the vehicle. The suspect then rushed toward her before she could close the door and grabbed her by the arms. (The woman) stated that she attempted to push the suspect back, and he stated, 'Stop or I will kill you!' The suspect then pulled (the woman) out of her vehicle, grabbed the keys from her hand and drove off," the complaint says. Investigators obtained surveillance video from Stein's as well as a nearby business -- which captured the suspect.
Speedway gas station (Howell & Oklahoma)
Late on Thursday, June 29, Milwaukee police were dispatched to another carjacking at the Speedway gas station at Howell and Oklahoma. Officers located a woman who provided brief information about what happened. But the told police the subject took her vehicle, and "the vehicle then ran her over and fled the scene." The woman suffered significant injuries.
Surveillance video at the gas station captured the incident. It shows the woman was washing her vehicle's windows when the suspect "walked up to the victim's car and entered the driver side door. The video showed (the woman) run to the door and began to fight with the suspect. The unknown suspect then put the vehicle into drive with (the woman) at the door and then dragged her over 30 feet. (The woman) eventually fell and was run over by her own vehicle," the complaint says.
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On Monday, July 3, detectives spoke with the woman who stated "an unknown suspect hopped inside her driver's seat, while she was attempting to throw away some trash," the complaint says. The woman tried to pull the man out of the vehicle -- and while doing so, the man pulled away in the car. The woman stated "when he drove away, he ran her over," the complaint says.
UCC Early Learning Academy (23rd & Becher)
The three earlier reports reveal that on Friday, June 30, Milwaukee police responded to an attempted carjacking complaint at UCC Early Learning Academy near 23rd and Becher. A woman told police she had picked up her grandchild and she was confronted by the suspect. The man "forcefully grabbed and pulled her hair, causing her head to jerk around," the complaint says. The woman told police the "suspect had a shiny metal object in his right hand, which at the time she believed to be either a large screwdriver or knife. (The woman) stated the suspect told her, 'Give me the car, don't make me do it," the complaint says. A struggle between the woman and suspect unfolded. During that struggle, the complaint says the suspect bit the woman's arm -- and he "ran away leaving his baseball hat and the screwdriver inside of her vehicle." Once again, surveillance video captured this incident.
While picking up her child, Monifa Johnson heard about an attempting carjacking outside UCC.
"I leave it running sometimes. That's why I was wondering what happened," Johnson said. "Ooooh, scary."
On July 14, police put out a media release with still images from the Stein's carjacking -- and an anonymous tip caller said the man pictured looked like Carlos Rivera-Gonzalez.
Milwaukee carjacking; 27th and Grange
The next day, officers stopped the defendant for public drinking near S. Layton Boulevard and W. Greenfield Avenue. The complaint says he was "wearing the same style sunglasses as the suspect" from the incident at Stein's and on W. Becher Street. Additionally, his "physical appearance matched that of the suspect captured on the video surveillance from both incidents," the complaint says.
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According to the complaint, photo arrays were shown to each of the victims in the above incidents. Each of the victims identified Rivera-Gonzalez as the suspect.
The complaint also notes that additional incidents are being investigated where this defendant is a suspect – and that may lead to additional charges.
Rivera-Gonzalez made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Sunday, July 23. Cash bond was set at $30,000.