5 teens arrested after police chase ends in crash in Milwaukee

Ashley Luthern
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Five teens, including one as young as 12, were arrested after a police chase ended in Milwaukee with a multiple-vehicle crash that injured two people, authorities said Wednesday. 

Police lights

Although the crash occurred in Milwaukee, the chase was undertaken by the Suburban Violent Crimes Task Force.

Wauwatosa police tried to stop a stolen black Jeep Cherokee about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to a news release. The Jeep had been taken in an armed carjacking two days earlier.

An undercover officer followed the Jeep to the area of W. Lloyd St. and N. Hi-Mount Blvd. and provided information to uniformed officers in a marked squad car, Wauwatosa police said.

When those officers tried to stop the Jeep, it fled. Officers chased it for about 10 minutes until it crashed into another vehicle on W. Wells St. near N. 24th St., officials said.

Five teens between the ages of 12 and 17 were taken into custody and charges are pending, according to Wauwatosa police. The investigation is ongoing.

Two people in the vehicle that was struck suffered minor injuries, police said.

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Milwaukee police assisted with the crash investigation. Officers from Brookfield, West Allis, Greenfield, Franklin and Wauwatosa as well as Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies were involved in the incident. Glendale police also are part of the task force.

The Suburban Violent Crimes Task Force began Oct. 23 with a focus on car theft, carjackings and burglaries.

The task force expects to release more information about its efforts and the results in coming weeks, Lt. Brian E. Zalewski, Wauwatosa police spokesman, said in an email.

"However, this initiative has already proven to be successful in just a short period of time and has directly resulted in the arrest of over two dozen offenders," he said. "Guns and drugs have been taken off the streets and several stolen vehicles have been successfully recovered."