A Waukesha County judge has signed an arrest warrant for Joseph Levenhagen, a Milwaukee man investigators say is tied to a string of home burglaries across southeast Wisconsin. The warrant was issued March 2, and authorities say Levenhagen may now be hiding on Milwaukee’s south side, while law enforcement in Mississippi has posted surveillance video and put a small reward on the case, as reported by FOX6 Milwaukee.
Warrant filed after prosecutors tie him to six burglaries
Prosecutors have filed charges accusing Levenhagen of six residential burglaries, three in New Berlin and three in Brookfield, and a Waukesha County judge signed the arrest warrant earlier this month, according to FOX6 Milwaukee. Investigators are asking residents to comb through doorbell and security camera footage and to report anything that looks even remotely like a lead.
Police say a 2025 chase points to a pattern
Court documents reviewed by local outlets show Brookfield and New Berlin detectives secured a court-approved GPS tracker and placed it on a vehicle tied to Levenhagen. They followed that car on April 2, 2025, until it crashed near 12th and Finn in Milwaukee and the suspect took off on foot, according to WISN. Officers say they pulled dozens of pieces of jewelry and other items from the vehicle, and investigators report that those belongings line up with what burglary victims say was taken from their homes.
Victims describe stolen keepsakes and a frightening encounter
New Berlin Police Capt. Brad Polcynski has publicly described Levenhagen as a “career criminal” and says the suspect appears to pick houses when nobody is home, a pattern outlined in local coverage. Victims and their families have reported missing family heirlooms and other sentimental items, and in one Brookfield case, a woman and her 4-year-old daughter were forced into a closet during an attempted burglary, according to reporting by TMJ4.
Mississippi footage and a $500 reward
In January, surveillance video from DeSoto County, Mississippi, captured a person of interest investigators say is tied to the Wisconsin burglaries. The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office posted the clip on its social media and is offering a $500 reward related to the case. That footage pushed detectives to widen their search beyond southeast Wisconsin as they work to confirm where the suspect is now.
How to report tips
Authorities urge anyone who believes they see the suspect to call 911 immediately. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers of Waukesha County at stopcrimewaukesha.com or by calling 1-888-441-5505. Police stress that residents should not try to confront anyone themselves and should let officers handle any encounter.
