Seven years in prison for teen accused of beating, killing West Allis man

WEST ALLIS -- 17-year-old Javasi Pezanoski-Young, one of four people accused of beating a West Allis man and leaving him for dead, will spend seven years in prison.

Pezanoski-Young was sentenced on Thursday, December 13th.

Pezanoski-Young, 47-year-old Danny Thompson, and 18-year-old Qwajavious Pittman are accused in the homicide of 57-year-old Jeffrey Garnier.

The criminal complaint in this case says on November 20th, 2011 a teenage girl told her mother and brother, a man with a mask and a plastic bag frightened her, and followed her home. Police say that man was Garnier.  

Pezanoski-Young, Thompson (both of West Allis), and Pittman of Milwaukee found Garnier and cornered him in the street near 92nd and Lincoln. Thompson punched Garnier, then Pezanoski-Young hit him, sending Garnier’s head smashing into the pavement.

Surveillance video showed four men chasing Garnier down, one man punching Garnier, and a man reaching into Garnier’s pockets before the four attackers fled the scene in a vehicle.

Garnier’s body was found lying in the roadway near 91st and Lincoln on November 20, 2011. Police say Garnier was unconscious and unresponsive, and they had initially thought he had been drinking, but were not able to determine what caused the injuries.

Garnier was taken to Aurora West Allis Medical Center where he suffered a stroke and was found to have a blood alcohol level of .194. He was transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center where he died on November 25th, 2011.

An autopsy revealed Garnier died from complications of blunt force trauma to the head.