Shorewood police warn residents after two robberies: “If you make yourself a sheep, the wolves will eat you"
SHOREWOOD (WITI) -- Shorewood police are reminding residents to be alert after two robberies in Shorewood this Easter weekend.
On Friday, April 3rd, shortly before 11:30 p.m., police say a 34-year-old Shorewood man parked his vehicle in the alleyway behind his residence in the 3900 block between N. Maryland Ave. and N. Farwell Ave. He had been followed by two vehicles. As he was parking, he noticed the two strange vehicles pull into the alleyway behind him. The man got out of his vehicle as the two unknown vehicles parked next to his. As he walked north through the alleyway, one of the subjects from the strange vehicles shouted, “Hey, come here.”
As the man turned around, he was abruptly struck in the face with a blunt object. He continued to be struck in the face and head suffering substantial injuries. As he was being beaten, the attackers demanded all of his property including his car -- which they took.
Three of the four suspects were taken into custody later after a brief pursuit. The other two vehicles that the suspects were using were reported as stolen from West Allis and Milwaukee -- one taken in a similar robbery. A pellet gun was recovered from one of the cars.
The suspects taken into custody are wanted for several robberies in Greater Milwaukee and are 16 and 17 years old. One suspect remains at large. The victim remains hospitalized.
On Sunday, April 5th at around 2:30 a.m., a 28-year-old Shorewood man was leaving Vitucci’s tavern on E. North Ave. and asked some men, whom he had just met in the bar, for a ride home to Shorewood. These men were complete strangers.
The men gave him a ride to his residence in the 2000 block of E. Olive St. Upon getting out of the car, one of the men beat the Shorewood man and took money and a credit card from him. The victim was not severely injured.
Police said this in a statement posted to their Facebook page:
"What both of these crimes have in common is that they were preventable. While we will never blame someone for becoming a victim of a crime, we will stress that many crimes are preventable and that people need to take common sense approaches to keep themselves safe at all times.
If you see strange vehicles following you, keep going. Do not get out of your vehicle. Call 911 and report the incident immediately. If you are out of your car and suspect being accosted, run. Get away as fast as you can while yelling or screaming. Keep yourself safe at all costs.
Always be aware of your surroundings. Try to avoid parking in dimly lit areas. If you feel the need, carry pepper spray or another LEGAL weapon to protect yourself. But always remember that your best weapon is your brain. Trust your instincts and never drop your guard.
It is the “nothing happens here” attitude that actually draws criminals to the suburbs. Criminals will look for easy prey. They will target the unsuspecting or the unprepared.
Watch the news. When you see a stories of carjackings, street robberies, bank and business robberies, stolen vehicles in West Allis, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, or anywhere else in the area, don’t every think, “better them than us.” Crimes can and do happen anywhere at any time. What you see on the news today may happen in Shorewood tomorrow and it may involve you.
When you leave your residence, is it unlocked? When you are home is it unlocked? Do you leave your vehicle unlocked? Do you leave valuables in your vehicle? Do you go for a walk or a run alone and wear headphones or earbuds? Do you ask for rides from strangers?
If the answer to any of the above questions is “Yes”, you have a far greater potential to be a victim of crime than those who answer no.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you make yourself a sheep, the wolves will eat you.” Don’t be a sheep. Remember, crime prevention is everybody’s business."