A woman accused of walking out of the Brookfield Kohl's near 124th and North Avenue with more than $500 worth of merchandise is now the subject of a police search, after the theft was reported at approximately 2:20 p.m. on Sunday. She fled in a white four-door car missing its front bumper, and investigators say she has a tattoo under her left collarbone that could help identify her.
According to FOX6 News Milwaukee, police describe the suspect as a woman standing between 5 feet 2 inches and 5 feet 5 inches tall with a medium build. She reportedly left the store without paying before getting into the getaway vehicle. Police have not described what merchandise was taken, nor have they released a photo of the suspect's car.
A Familiar Address for Brookfield Police
This is not the first time this particular Kohl's location has drawn police attention this year. In June, an unsolved theft of $112.50 in merchandise from the same store prompted Brookfield police to ask the public for tips, a case detailed in Hoodline's earlier coverage, Brookfield Police Hunt Kohl's Shoplifter. Then in August, a shoplifting attempt involving $478 in merchandise at the same store spiraled into an 80 mph police chase, with a driver allegedly ramming two squad cars before being forced into a ditch, according to Hoodline's prior reporting on that case.
The Kohl's sits less than 10 miles south of the company's own corporate headquarters in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin — a detail that underscores just how close to home this pattern of thefts has hit for the Milwaukee-founded retailer, which operates more than 1,100 department stores nationwide.
How the Dollar Amount Could Shape Charges
How the Dollar Amount Could Shape Charges Under Wisconsin Statute § 943.50, retail theft of merchandise valued at $2,500 or less is a Class A misdemeanor, according to Hoodline. The more-than-$500 amount reported in this case does not by itself establish a felony classification.
Prosecutors now have additional tools to bring charges even when individual theft amounts fall below that line. A recent legislative change allows prosecutors to aggregate multiple retail thefts within six months into a single higher-level charge and includes harsher penalties for repeat theft offenders. That legislative change follows a 2019 ruling in State v. Lopez, in which the Wisconsin Supreme Court affirmed that prosecutors can legally combine multiple separate retail theft incidents into a single continuous offense under state law, according to the Wisconsin State Law Library.
Other Recent Retail Thefts in the Area
The 124th Street Kohl's is far from the only Brookfield retailer to draw police scrutiny this year. In April, Brookfield police sought public help after a theft at a local Pick 'n Save involving $2,600 in stolen merchandise, and in February, a retail theft at a Brookfield store triggered a six-mile police pursuit onto Interstate 94 that ended with vehicle crashes and injuries to both an officer and a civilian, per CBS 58 Milwaukee.
It remains unclear whether the suspect in this latest case is linked to any of those other incidents, and police have not said whether surveillance footage of the white four-door car will be released. The specific category of merchandise taken from the store has also not been disclosed.
How to Submit a Tip
The Brookfield Police Department is asking anyone with information to call 262-787-3702. Tipsters can also reach Sgt. Mohns directly by email, or submit information anonymously through Waukesha County Crime Stoppers, either online or via the P3 Tips mobile app. Waukesha County Crime Stoppers may offer cash rewards, with amounts determined after an arrest, serving 28 communities across the county in partnership with local law enforcement.
