Falls, Tosa Police Clean Up The Streets After Several Arrests

The Menomonee Falls and Wauwatosa police departments have been quite busy over the past few weeks, but it has been a good busy, said Falls Police Chief Anna Ruzinski.

Tosa and Falls police have brought four criminals into custody whom authorities say are responsible for various crimes in both communities over the past several weeks.

On Aug. 11, a Falls police officer was surveying businesses downtown when . The officer said he spotted Laskowski get out of his car, put on gloves and attempt to pry open a rear door at .

Laskowski, a Wauwatosa resident, was immediately arrested and the officer found burglary tools and a crack pipe in his possession as well. Laskowski has been linked to several other burglaries in downtown Menomonee Falls, including , , and .

“That burglar we apprehended downtown was a result of good police work,” Ruzinski said.

Laskowski is charged with one count of burglary, one count of attempted burglary, one count of possession of burglarious tools and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia

Falls police stepped up patrols and organized an enforcement strategy in the hopes of catching a criminal just a week prior to Laskowski’s arrest. Officers monitored downtown on foot, and checked businesses to ensure they were secured. It didn't take long to find their criminal.

Members of the Wauwatosa Police Detective Bureau had been compiling evidence on similar break-ins that had occurred in Tosa since July 13, and say Laskowski can be considered a suspect in .

Two more arrests

Recently, Tosa police arrested two men for other burglaries in Wauwatosa. Rodney Randolph, 20, of Milwaukee, and a 16-year-old male were both brought into custody by Tosa officers. A detective from the Falls Police Department, who was keeping a keen eye on crime in the Milwaukee area, noticed the burglary pattern matched a similar incident that occurred earlier in August in Falls.

“That was just heads-up work by our investigators who were staying up-to-date on what's happening in the metro area,” Ruzinski said.

When the Falls detective questioned the two men, one confessed to burglarizing the on Main Street Aug. 5.

Randolph has been charged in Waukesha County Circuit with five counts of burglary.

Police close several thefts from autos cases

Lastly, a resident helped Falls police catch a car thief who was responsible for . A resident called police after she saw 19-year-old Trae S. Payne inside a neighbor’s vehicle and trying to get into hers.

Payne is facing seven theft charges after targeting vehicles in various locations throughout the village.

“We certainly believe he’s responsible for a couple of the areas where thefts from autos occurred,” Ruzinski said. “We are looking at the possibility that there are other suspects and we will continue to investigate and clear as many cases as we can.”

Payne is also facing a separate burglary charge along the W13000 block of Ranch Road. The homeowner caught Payne in the act on camera. Ruzinski said they recognized the suspect, and brought the additional theft charges to the district attorney for consideration.

Residents should remain vigilant

Although the recent arrests should go a long way curtailing some of the recent criminal activity in the village, Ruzinski said residents should be thorough in securing their belongings, homes and businesses.

“Even though we are pleased with the arrests, we encourage residents to be vigilant about securing their property,” Ruzinski said. “We believe these arrests will curb thefts, but we encourage everyone to take the proper steps to avoid becoming a victim.”

Ruzinksi said Payne was simply jiggling door handles to see if it was unlocked, and would easily enter an unlocked vehicle to steal items. She said these are crimes of opportunity that can be avoided.

Ruzinksi also commended the resident for alerting police to the criminal activity she was observing.

“We thank the citizen for calling us, because we certainly can’t be everywhere at all times,” Ruzinski said. “She called and it led to an arrest that cleared a lot of thefts from autos.”

Ruzinski said its best to err on the safe said. She said any suspicious activity should be reported, and citizens shouldn’t worry whether or not it’s criminal.

“It’s better to just call us so we can investigate. Even if they aren’t sure just call us. We could find out it was nothing, but it could also lead to the arrest of another criminal,” Ruzinski said.

If you see suspicious activity or have information about a crime in the village, call the MFPD at 532-8700.