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Waukesha County authorities seek serial burglar
Police said a serial burglar keeps getting away. FOX6 News has the new development in a case that has wound its way through southeast Wisconsin and beyond.
NEW BERLIN, Wis. - Police say he is a serial burglar who keeps getting away. FOX6 News now shares the new development in a case that has wound its way through southeast Wisconsin and beyond.
Joseph Levenhagen
Serial burglar case
What we know:
Surveillance video from DeSoto County, Mississippi captured in January shows a man detectives say is a "person of interest" in multiple home burglaries there. They identified the man as 43-year-old Joseph Levenhagen of Milwaukee.
Investigators said Levenhagen is the same guy who broke into Keith Paukner's home in New Berlin in 2025.
"It was all my wife’s jewelry was gone and my jewelry on top of my dresser," Paukner said.
Arrest warrant issued
Dig deeper:
A Waukesha County judge issued an arrest warrant for Levenhagen on Monday, March 2. Investigators said he is responsible for three home burglaries in New Berlin and three in Brookfield. Prosecutors have already filed charges for those crimes.
New Berlin Police Capt. Brad Polcynski called Levenhagen a career criminal.
What they're saying:
"He’s targeting residences – homes – he would like to do these burglaries when nobody’s home," Polcynski said.
New Berlin Police Capt. Brad Polcynski
Polcynski said Levenhagen's criminal record dates back to 2002. Investigators believe he has broken into homes in Mequon, West Allis, Wauwatosa and Whitefish Bay.
In April 2025, police spotted him outside a burglary on Lake Drive. They tried to pull him over, but Levenhagen crashed and ran off.
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In February 2025, police said a woman and her 4-year-old daughter walked in on Levenhagen as he was trying to steal from a Brookfield home. They told FOX6 News, Levenhagen forced the woman and child into a closet.
"He is doing damage and taking away not only personal items and cash – its wrecking homes and a giving them feeling of insecurity," Paukner said.
Where is he now?
Why you should care:
New Berlin police believe Levenhagen is currently somewhere on Milwaukee's south side. If you have information concerning his whereabouts, you are urged to call police or Waukesha County Crime Stoppers.
Milwaukee man accused of burglaries in multiple counties
He has a series of convictions for burglary and theft. Now, court filings say he is a suspect in not just one recent Whitefish Bay burglary, but at least three others in Waukesha County.
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Meanwhile, the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office in Mississippi is offering a $500 reward for information that leads to Levenhagen's arrest.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and the criminal complaint associated with this case.