Milwaukee Man Charged with Theft from Car in Shorewood

A 25-year-old Milwaukee man is charged with stealing from a car in Shorewood, after police say he was caught with the stolen property and later confessed to breaking into other cars. 

Jerome Gooden was charged April 20 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court with one misdemeanor count of theft of movable property less than $2,500. If convicted, he faces up to nine months imprisonment and/or $10,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint: 

On Nov. 2, a Shorewood police officer responded to a report of a man, riding a bicycle, in a homeowner’s driveway in the 4400 block of North Lake Drive. The officer observed Gooden riding a bicycle near the intersection of Lake Drive and East Olive Street and stopped him, according to court documents. 

The officer asked Gooden where he got the bicycle, and he said Walmart and that he has owned it for three years. The officer arrested Gooden man for prowling, and searched him, finding an Illinois toll way IPASS device in his jacket pocket. Gooden told the officer he found the device on the ground somewhere. 

Shorewood police say they tracked the IPASS device, revealing a Shorewood woman owned it. The woman told police, the device, along with an adapter and charger, were stolen from her car while it was parked in the 4100 block of North Prospect Avenue on Nov. 1.

During an interview with a Whitefish Bay detective on March 12, Gooden said he went out with another man on Milwaukee’s east side and committed 10-15 car break-ins, stealing two iPads, on iPod, and sold the iPads at a Game Stop video game store for $450.

After making the money, Gooden told the detective he was lured into committing more break-ins. Gooden told police he and the other man rode bicycles into Shorewood on Nov. 2 to steal from cars, and that he entered less than 10 cars before being stopped by police.

Gooden is due back in court for an initial appearance on May 29, according to online court records.