Waukesha mail theft; paint splatters help police ID suspect SUV

Waukesha mail theft, police chase

A 28-year-old Illinois man is accused of stealing mail and later leading police on a high-speed chase that stretched nearly nine miles.

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A 28-year-old Blue Island, Illinois man is accused of stealing mail and later leading police on a high-speed chase that stretched nearly nine miles. The accused is Michael White – and he faces the following criminal counts:

Vehicle operator flee/elude officer causing damage to property
Theft of mail (less than 10 pieces of mail)

Michael White

According to the criminal complaint, New Berlin police were investigating on Saturday, Aug. 26 a theft of mail that had ties to the City of Waukesha. Officers learned the suspect vehicle as a Jeep Compass that had recently been seen at a business on Lincoln Avenue in Waukesha. The complaint says officers "learned that the suspect was taking checks from the mailbox without the business owner's consent."

The complaint says just before 10 p.m. on Aug. 26, officers on patrol spotted the Jeep in the area of the Waukesha company. The vehicle left the area at a high rate of speed. As the SUV came to a stop, one of the officers saw "what appeared to be red/pink paint that appeared to be fresh on the rear driver's side door. (The officer) observed that the paint looked wet and appeared to be thrown at the vehicle, as it was splattered all over," the complaint says.

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While tracking the Jeep, Waukesha dispatch took a call from someone "to report a suspicious vehicle that had just stolen mail, again." The complaint says the "caller indicated that he used an 'improvised pink paintball' to mark the side of the vehicle."

Paintball splatter outside Waukesha business

A short time later, an officer initiated a traffic stop. The operator of the vehicle came to a stop but did not place the vehicle in park when stopped. As the officer approached the vehicle, the complaint says the officer "observed the brake lights come off, and the suspect vehicle took off at a high rate of speed" and without its lights on. A police chase ensued.

Paintball splatter outside Waukesha business

During the pursuit, the Jeep kept speeding, disregarded red traffic lights, and traveled in the wrong direction of a roundabout before merging onto northbound I-43. The complaint says "during this pursuit, the top speed reached 123 mph, and the total length was 8.8 miles."

Eventually, New Berlin police were able to successfully deploy tire deflation devices -- and then used a PIT maneuver to bring the situation safely under control. The suspect vehicle was eventually stopped on I-43 near Sunny Slope Road. The vehicle was missing multiple tires and was riding on rims.

Dash camera video of pursuit

Police chase; driver suspected stealing mail

New Berlin police released dash camera video that showed the police chase of Michael White, a man accused of stealing mail -- and later leading officers on a high-speed pursuit.

The complaint says the driver of the Jeep was identified as the defendant, Michael White.

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When officers searched the Jeep, they "located a stack of nine pieces of mail." Several of those pieces of mail were from businesses on Lincoln Avenue in Waukesha. It was later learned the Jeep belonged to White's mother.

White made his initial appearance in Waukesha County court on Monday, Aug. 28. Cash bond was set at $50,000.