Milwaukee apartment complex, parking garage arson; man charged

Yahoo

26-01-2025

MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man has been criminally charged, accused of setting multiple fires in Milwaukee. Prosecutors say 33-year-old Jamal Davis started two separate fires inside an apartment building and another fire inside a parking garage.
Davis is charged with two counts of arson of a building and one count of negligent handling of burning material.
What we know
According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 7, Milwaukee police were dispatched to the Greenwich Park Apartments-Mercy Housing, located on Farewell Avenue near Thomas Avenue, for a "trouble with a subject" incident that occurred on Jan. 6.
When officers arrived, they spoke to the property's maintenance manager, who reported that on Jan. 6 an unknown subject entered the front vestibule of the building to sleep.
On Jan. 7, the maintenance manager stated that he noticed the carpet in the front vestibule was damaged – with burn marks on the carpet and pieces of charred clothing lying on the floor.
The maintenance manager told police he then decided to review surveillance footage. Per the complaint, the footage showed a man entering the building around 10:14 p.m. and lighting a piece of his clothing on fire.
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Once the fire started, the man allegedly laid down next to it. Eventually, the fire was extinguished on its own, but the fire alarm was triggered and when it went off, video footage showed the man gathering his remaining possessions and leaving the building, according to the criminal complaint.
On Jan. 14, Milwaukee police again responded to the Greenwich Park Apartments-Mercy Housing for a property damage complaint.
When police arrived at the scene, they spoke to the property's maintenance manager, who reported that a man who he'd observed sleeping in the vestibule of the building on numerous occasions, had entered the building again to sleep.
Per the complaint, surveillance footage showed the man enter the building on Jan. 14 – and light a small piece of paper on fire in one corner of the vestibule.
Later, the video allegedly showed the man lighting a t-shirt on fire. He then held the t-shirt in his hands while it was burning before putting it on the ground. The fire spread to a salt container that was nearby in the vestibule. Ultimately, the fire grew, causing damage to the carpet and the drywall of the vestibule, the complaint states.
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The maintenance manager told police that the damage resulted in approximately $4,000 in repairs. Once the fire alarm was triggered, the man was allegedly seen on surveillance leaving the building, court filings say.
What we know
According to the complaint, on Jan. 14 Milwaukee police responded to Ascension Columbia St. Mary's on Prospect Avenue because of a property damage complaint.
When the police arrived at the scene, they spoke with an individual who reported that a fire had been started in the Medical Complex parking garage. This person stated that she had observed surveillance video of a subject lighting a fire inside the elevator lobby area of the 2nd floor of the parking garage.
In review of the surveillance footage, officers observed the subject enter the parking garage on Jan 13 at 11:55 p.m. The footage shows the subject taking off his jacket after entering the garage and lying on the ground. The subject then proceeds to lay down next to the jacket and set it on fire at approximately 11:57 p.m, using a pocket cigarette lighter.
The subject remained lying in front of the fire until the fire alarm went off at 12:02 a.m. The subject then ran out of the lobby area in an unknown direction.
What we know
On Jan. 15, police responded to a "suspicious person complaint" at the intersection of North Avenue and Prospect Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers realized that the man matched the description of a wanted subject who had been involved in three separate incidents in the area concerning fire.
The man, later identified as Jamal Davis, was taken into custody.
What's next
On Jan. 17, the court ordered a competency examination for Jamal Davis. The doctor's report is due Feb. 12.
The Source
Information in this report is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.