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2 days ago
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Power substation damaged; Milwaukee man accused of trying to cut live wire
The Brief A Milwaukee man is accused of breaking into a We Energies substation in St. Francis. James Schneck faces two criminal counts for property damage at the substation on March 14. The criminal complaint indicates Schneck was seriously hurt when he tried to cut a live wire. ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - A 45-year-old Milwaukee man who is a self-proclaimed "scrapper" is accused of breaking into a We Energies substation in St. Francis. The accused is James Schneck – and he faces the following criminal counts: Criminal trespass to energy provider property Intentional damage to energy provider property What we know According to the criminal complaint, St. Francis police were dispatched on the morning of Friday, March 14 to the We Energies substation on S. Kinnickinnic Avenue just south of Howard Avenue for a property damage complaint. When officers arrived on the scene, they spoke with a We Energies employee who said "someone had forcefully gained entry to the substation through the secure fenced-in area to steal copper. (The employee) said the suspect tried to cut a live wire and was likely electrocuted by an extremely large amount of volts. (The employee) further stated that if the suspect wasn't already dead, he believed it was only a matter of time," the complaint says. The suspect also left tools and clothing behind, the employee noted. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android The criminal complaint says the We Energies employee estimated the amount of damage caused by the suspect to be around $100,000. Officers contacted detectives, a K-9 officer and drone officers to try to locate the suspect who was likely injured. A detective on the scene found a cellphone in a bag left behind by the suspect. That detective took a photo of the lock screen photo and uploaded it to automated facial recognition software. That software provided a close match to James Schneck, the defendant. The detective also called 911 from the cellphone to identify the phone number, which was also paired with Schneck. An officer also contacted an employee at Complete Recycling, near the substation. Surveillance "video depicted an explosion at the We Energies substation and depicted an individual on a bicycle riding away from the substation approximately 20 minutes after the explosion," the complaint says. Investigators were able to identify Schneck was in a relationship with someone who lived about two miles from the We Energies substation. When they went to the residence, they found a bicycle leaning up against a garage. But there was no response at the door. Investigators then spoke with the landlord who said the woman "contacted him that morning via text saying (the woman) was taking her 'man' to St. Mary's hospital after being in a 'freak accident at work' and has '2nd degree burns all over his face,'" the complaint says. Detectives then reached out to the St. Mary's Burn Unit and spoke to the woman. She indicated she had been sleeping when Schneck arrived at her apartment needing her help. She told detectives "Schneck told her something blew up in his face and he couldn't see, so (the woman) called 911," the complaint says. A nurse told detectives they did not find any evidence Schneck was electrocuted, but they suspected he was likely an opiate addict based on his reaction to ketamine. On May 28, a detective went to the woman's apartment to talk about Schneck's whereabouts. She said she did not know where he was. But the complaint says the detective noticed men's shoes in the kitchen area. During the conversation, the woman motioned over her shoulder to the detective. The detective and an officer later located Schneck in a bedroom closet. He was taken into custody. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Detectives conducted an in-custody interview with Schneck. He said he was released from the hospital about four days after the We Energies incident, even though he couldn't open his eye all the way. When asked about what happened, Schneck said, "You guys know. You guys know what happened. I thought I died because when I opened my eyes, all I saw was a bright light," the complaint says. When asked what the pain was like, Schneck said, "I can't even describe it. It felt like my face was being burned with a blow torch," the complaint says. Schneck also told investigators "he was doing this to make ends meet and that he has been scrapping for years," the complaint says. What's next Schneck was scheduled to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Friday, May 30. The Source The information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access as well as the criminal complaint associated with this case.
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2 days ago
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Cedarburg bank ATM robbery, police release surveillance
The Brief Cedarburg police have released surveillance video that shows a bank ATM robbery. It happened at Port Washington State Bank on the afternoon of May 20. The investigation led law enforcement to Grafton and as far away as Illinois. CEDARBURG, Wis. - Cedarburg police have released surveillance video that shows a bank ATM robbery that happened on the afternoon of May 20. The backstory Police said an ATM was being serviced at Port Washington State Bank on Washington Avenue. As money was being loaded into the machine, two suspects approached a worker and stole a bag of money. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android The suspects fled the area down Portland Road. No gun was displayed, and the worker was not hurt. Michael Gannon, the owner of Juice's Ghost Town in Grafton, said law enforcement swarmed his business roughly 20 minutes later looking for suspects. Investigators said the suspects' car was ditched in Grafton. Police did not say how much money was stolen from the ATM. The investigation is ongoing. Dig deeper Cameras tracked a second vehicle wanted in connection to the robbery all the way to Lake Forest, Illinois. Police there tried to stop it, which led to a chase and ended with a crash. The people in that vehicle ran off. The City of Highland Park posted that the driver was arrested. Highland Park police said they were looking for the other people in the car, but despite drones and K-9s, no one else was taken into custody. The Source Information in this story is from the Cedaburg Police Department.
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2 days ago
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Milwaukee shooting: Man charged, wanted for reckless homicide
The Brief A man is charged with reckless homicide for a shooting near Darien and Green Tree. Court records show a warrant has been issued for the 21-year-old's arrest. Prosecutors said a woman, who is also charged, stole a gun before the shooting. MILWAUKEE - A Milwaukee man is charged and wanted for a fatal shooting that happened on the city's north side on May 9. In Court Court records show 21-year-old Curtis Griffin is charged with one count of first-degree reckless homicide. A warrant was issued for his arrest on May 29. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What they're saying Milwaukee police were called to the area of Darien and Green Tree, just west of Teutonia Avenue. A criminal complaint states officers found the victim, 25-year-old Chrishaun Ragland, shot in the driver's seat of a gray Ford SUV that was stopped on the grass. Ragland died at the scene despite life-saving attempts. Court filings said Ragland suffered multiple gunshot wounds. There appeared to be bullet holes to the driver's window and door of the gray Ford, as well as a bullet strike to the dashboard in front of the steering wheel. Prosecutors said a witness told investigators he heard several gunshots and went outside, where he saw a man with no shirt on – armed with a rifle – running from an apartment building near the scene. The same man eventually returned and went back inside the apartment building. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Detectives went to the apartment where the witness said he saw the armed man running to and from. The complaint states they found rifle bullet casings "consistent" with the shooter firing shots from the apartment's balcony toward Ragland. A sporting rifle was found during a search of the apartment and taken for ballistics testing, which found it was "consistent" with the rifle that fired the rounds found at the scene. A handgun was also found in the apartment. Dig deeper According to court filings, surveillance video showed Ragland's gray Ford SUV pull up in front of the apartment building on the day of the shooting. It also showed 21-year-old Shania Barksdale meeting with Ragland and walking upstairs in the direction of the shooter's apartment. Minutes later, she was seen running down the stairs carrying the handgun that was later found during the search. Shortly after, prosecutors said surveillance showed Griffin running downstairs without a shirt on. He was carrying what appeared to be the rifle that was found in the apartment. He later returned carrying both the rifle and the handgun that Barksdale had been seen with. Barksdale told investigators she was Ragland's girlfriend, per the complaint. She said Ragland planned to go to Griffin's apartment and told her to "pretend to buy some marijuana" from Griffin with the intent of stealing a gun. She said she gave Griffin money for marijuana, and she saw a handgun on a table near a couch. When Griffin went to get the drugs, she took the gun and ran. When she got to the gray Ford SUV, where Ragland was waiting, she said she could not get in and heard Griffin fire shots from the balcony. She dropped the gun, which is how Griffin was able to pick it up and return inside with it, according to court filings. Prosecutors charged Barksdale with theft for stealing the gun from the apartment. The Source Information in this report is from the Milwaukee Police Department, Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office and Wisconsin Circuit Court.
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3 days ago
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Fire damages Neenah Foundry Thursday night
The Brief FOX6 News is working to learn more about an industrial fire in Neenah, Wisconsin. It happened on Thursday night, May 29 at the Neenah Foundry. This is a developing story. NEENAH, Wis. - A fire broke out at the Neenah Foundry in Neenah, Wisconsin on Thursday night, May 29. What we know Crews were called to the scene around 8:30 p.m. Video sent to FOX6 News by a viewer shows flames coming from the plant. What we don't know No additional details have been released – including the cause of the fire or the amount of damage sustained. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android FOX6 News is working to gather information about this incident. When we have more information, we will update this post. The Source This post was produced by FOX6 News.
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3 days ago
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Waukesha Habitat for Humanity 'Volunteer of the Year' puts in the hours
The Brief Louisa Rank is putting in the work, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha and Jefferson Counties in 2018. She's put in hundreds of hours in 2024 alone, and has volunteered in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. She's also been selected as the organization's "Volunteer of the Year." WAUKESHA, Wis. - When a construction site is packed with more than 100 people at a time, it's hard to stand out. This woman is proving otherwise. She's recognized for her construction skills in Waukesha County and hundreds of miles away. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What we know This is not how Louisa Rank envisioned retirement. She started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha and Jefferson Counties in 2018. Just last year alone (2024), she logged 489 hours on site. Rank says she just can't stop. "Over time, it's like, yup – nope. Give me those power tools," Rank said. If that weren't enough, Rank also raised money for, and organized, a group of 10 volunteers in North Carolina last fall. "Most of the homes got like 3–4 feet of water in them," Rank added. She put her new skills to work, helping habitat homeowners in Henderson County, North Carolina, forced to rebuild after Hurricane Helene. "The word that comes to mind is empowering. Especially a woman on the build site with no background in construction," said Melissa Songco, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha and Jefferson Counties. The group selected Rank as its "Volunteer of the Year." Songco says looking around this construction site, it's easy to see rank's influence. What we know The project is called Dominica Park. Next month, even more new residents will be moving in as the project enters its final phase. It's the largest build in the organization's history, an entire city block between Oakland and Greenfield in Waukesha. When finished, the neighborhood will house 20 families. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News There have been many people who've lent a hand in making Dominica Park a reality. Rank hopes her hard work inspires others to pitch in. "Oh, it fills you up. It fills you up so good," said Rank. Rank will be honored at Habitat's "Dream Builders Gala" next month. Construction at Dominica Park is expected to wrap up in 2026. The Source This story was produced by FOX6 by interviewing Louisa Rank and Melissa Songco.
