Teen charged after alleged Milwaukee area joy ride

 City of Waukesha — A 17-year-old Waukesha boy was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court on Jan. 17 with being party to the crime of vehicle theft after allegedly going on a “joy ride” with another 16-year-old boy on Dec. 24.

The two teenagers allegedly stole a 1996 Geo belonging to Jose J. Lopez Cruz around 2 a.m. on Dec. 24, according to the criminal complaint. The defendant discovered the car was unlocked with the keys inside, said the defendant’s friend, and asked him if, “he wanted to go for a ride,” the complaint reads.

They allegedly drove to Milwaukee and picked up friends and went to a mall in Brookfield, according to the complaint.

They also allegedly lost control of the vehicle at one point, sliding into a ditch on W. Sunset Drive near St. Paul Avenue, according to the complaint.

An officer identified Cruz’s vehicle outside Kwik Trip Gas Station, 1908 W. Saint Paul Ave., and defendant and his friend were reported to be inside the car. The defendant contradicted the other teenager in his statement, saying that they came across the vehicle stuck in a ditch in the snow and decided to take it for a joy ride, according to the complaint.

If convicted, the defendant could face up to six years in prison, $10,000 in fines, or both. The defendant’s next expected court date is Jan. 28.