RACIAL CRIME: Martin Luther King Boulevard
Two homeless individuals were arrested near Capitol Square Saturday, an MPD report said. The report said two suspects were making slurs to a mixed-race couple walking with their two children. Richard Epperson, 52, urinated near the couple’s 1-year-old daughter’s stroller, the report added, while Suzanne Burgaz, 47, kicked an officer upon arrest.
MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said the incident was mostly related to the transient population downtown.
“[The suspects] are part of the hardcore category [of homeless individuals] that have created issues in the past,” DeSpain said.
ROBBERY: Carroll Street
A 53-year-old Madison man was robbed downtown Monday, another MPD report said. The victim, who was not a native English speaker, talked with teenagers on a bus, the report said. After exiting the bus, the teens asked to see his passport. After getting out his wallet, one of the teens took it, ran, returned it empty, and showed a knife when the victim tried to stop him, the report said. A 16-year-old Madison teenager was charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
STRONG ARM ROBBERY: Milwaukee Street
A 61-year-old Madison woman overcame an attempted robbery Monday, according to an MPD report. While walking to work, an African-American man in his late 20s asked for the time and then attempted to take the bag the victim was carrying, according to the report. The woman, who was yelling for him to stop, eventually succeeded in getting away, although the bag contained only her lunch. The suspect was last seen fleeing west on Milwaukee Street, according to the report.
WEAPONS VIOLATION: Woodvale Drive
Madison Police are also investigating two likely related weapons violations. A couple living on Woodvale Drive discovered a bullet hole in their house, a report said. Police found a .22 caliber round in the house and the casing in the street, according to the report. According to the report, another woman who parked her car nearby found a bullet hole in the fender. A witness claims she heard two “pings” early Tuesday. The crimes appear random, according to the report.
