Pregnant woman killed, Milwaukee man charged with homicide

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Gladys Johnson-Ball; Cameron Washington

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man, already charged with related felonies, including arson, is now accused of killing Gladys Johnson-Ball and her unborn child.

In court:

Milwaukee County prosecutors filed an amended criminal complaint against 21-year-old Cameron Washington. In it, he is now charged with first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree reckless homicide (unborn child).

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Washington was charged last month with arson, six felonies and two misdemeanors related to the same case. During his initial court appearance on those charges, Court Commissioner Maria Dorsey noted Washington had not yet been charged with homicide because the medical examiner’s report was not completed when charges were filed.

Court records show Washington remains jailed on $100,000 bond.

Cameron Washington appears in Milwaukee County Court on Jan. 11, 2026.

26th and Locust

The backstory:

Police were called about a person with a weapon on the night of Jan. 5. When officers arrived, they reported seeing flames on the second floor of the home near 26th and Locust.

While clearing the home, a criminal complaint said officers found Johnson-Ball unconscious in a bedroom that was on fire. She was taken outside and pronounced dead at the scene.

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Police responding to the scene saw Washington get onto a bus and followed it until he got off near 27th and Townsend. He was then arrested, and court filings said a lighter was found in his pants pocket.

Prosecutors said an autopsy determined Johnson-Ball's cause of death was asphyxia, and the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office ruled her death a homicide.

What they're saying:

Johnson-Ball was the mother of Washington’s 3-year-old daughter and was pregnant with another child at the time of her death, according to the complaint. Investigators said Washington lived with Johnson-Ball and her family at the home near 26th and Locust.

Court filings said Johnson-Ball’s mother told police Washington and her daughter had been inside the bedroom together all day and that family members had been unable to reach her. She told investigators Washington would not allow anyone inside the room and pointed a gun at family members. 

The mother told investigators that she began to call police as other family members tried to get into the bedroom, according to prosecutors. She began to smell smoke and saw Washington run past her, out the front door and away from the home. While others ran out of the house, the mother said she broke through the locked bedroom door. The closet was on fire, and she tried to put it out. She said she tried but was unable to move her unconscious daughter.

Johnson-Ball's sister also said Washington would not let anyone into the bedroom and that Washington pulled out a gun and pointed it at people, the complaint said. She said he was trying to shoot it, but "it appeared that he was unfamiliar with its functionality and was not able to operate it."

Home near 26th and Locust

Two other people in the home gave similar statements to those of Johnson-Ball's mother and sister, according to court filings.

Dig deeper:

A detective investigated the scene once the fire had been extinguished and saw burned clothing on top of a partially melted rifle. There were bullet cartridges scattered on the floor. The detective said Johnson-Ball was cold to the touch, per the complaint, leaving him with the impression that she'd been dead for hours.

An investigation into the fire determined it likely self-extinguished after Johnson-Ball's mother closed the closet door in an attempt to put it out; it was only smoldering when firefighters arrived. There was no external source of ignition, the complaint said, suggesting someone had set it. There were no trips or faulty wiring in the home, indicating the cause was not electrical.