2 18-year-olds who stole cleaning supplies, snacks from Home Depot, led police in chase and crashes
By: Two 18-year-olds from Milwaukee are accused of stealing cleaning supplies and snacks from a Wauwatosa Home Depot and then leading police on a chase that reached speeds in excess of 90 miles an hour. The accused are Demetrius Walker and Nevaeh Beck (not pictured) – and they face the following criminal counts:
Flee or elude an officer (Walker)
Drive or operate a vehicle without owner's consent (Walker)
Second-degree recklessly endangering safety, four counts (Walker)
Neglecting a child-specified harm did not occur and child under 6 years of age (Walker)
Obstructing an officer (Walker)
Misdemeanor retail theft (Walker, Beck)
Operating vehicle without owner's consent-knowing passenger (Beck)
According to the criminal complaint, Wauwatosa police responded to a retail theft at Home Depot on N. 124th Street on Friday, Sept. 22. Officers were told two females walked out of the store with cleaning supplies and loaded them into a black SUV with no license plate. The criminal complaint says the pair left the store with $308.93 worth of cleaning supplies without paying for them. The complaint also says the driver of the SUV, identified as defendant Demetrius Walker, also entered the store, "took two bottles of soda and a bag of chips and left the store without paying for the property. As soon as the females loaded up the (SUV) with the rest of the stolen merchandise, Walker drove away."
Moments later, an officer spotted the suspect vehicle leaving the Home Depot parking lot and heading east on Capitol Drive. The SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed. A police chase ensued.
The pursuit ended near 85th and Villard in Milwaukee when the SUV crashed into a light pole. Five people exited the SUV after the crash. The driver was again identified as Walker. The complaint says Beck exited from the driver's side passenger door. Three kids were also in the vehicle. Beck was taken into custody. Walker was arrested after a foot pursuit.
The complaint says the "pursuit lasted 5 minutes and 54 seconds, covered a distance of 4.5 miles, and the top speed of pursuing officers was 96 miles per hour."
In an interview with police, Walker "admitted to shoplifting from Home Depot and that he took drinks and a snack without paying. Walker admitted to being the driver of the vehicle. Walker admitted that he knew the merchandise being loaded into the (SUV) was stolen because he was told by Beck that it was stolen as she was loading the (SUV) sup. Walker admitted to fleeing from officers because he had been informed that the (SUV) was stolen," the complaint says.
Walker made his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Monday, Sept. 25. Cash bond was set at $20,000.
Beck is scheduled to make her initial appearance in court on Oct. 25.