Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee man charged with arson, following 15 fires to homes and garbage bins

Published

2 years ago

June 25, 2024

Milwaukee man charged with arson, following 15 fires to homes and garbage bins

A 35-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged with arson following a spree where 15 fires were set in one morning, including to occupied residences and garbage bins near structures.

Breonteze S. Little was charged Monday by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

Several residents were displaced or have to consider moving due to the fires. No one was injured in the fires, but one firefighter suffered minor injuries fighting a blaze.

Little was charged with one count of arson and bail jumping, both felonies. The charge stems from a fire in the 4500 block of West Lisbon Avenue. Police said the other fires are still under investigation.

According to a criminal complaint:

New owners took over the former Ralph’s Coffee Bar at 4538 W. Lisbon Ave. in April and had been working on renovations. Shortly after 7:30 a.m. on June 18, one of the owners spotted a fire from paper towels burning in the foyer entrance beneath the mail slot. He said the fire was just beginning to catch the carpet underneath it.

Contractors for the renovations put out the fire and a fire scene examination was conducted by Milwaukee police. The detective said the mail slot exhibited signs of fire-related damages with sections of the carpeting being melted or charred.

The detective determined the fire was set intentionally by igniting paper towels soaked in combustibles and dropping it in the mail slot.

Police gathered surveillance footage from the surrounding neighborhood and used facial recognition software to identify Little.

Police said Little went to District Three police station earlier that morning to report a child custody issue involving his child’s mother and was wearing the same clothes.

Little has multiple prior felony convictions and was currently out on $1,000 bail after being charged earlier this year with possession of a firearm as a felon. He showed up to a hearing at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on Thursday and was arrested on suspicion of arson.

In the morning of June 18, the Milwaukee Fire Department put out 15 fires in the area of North 49th Street and West Lisbon Avenue, then later near North Ninth and West Hadley streets.

Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said at a press conference that four houses were burned, two of which were occupied.

One resident, Mary Spadafora, told the Journal Sentinel that she’d likely sell her home. “If it’s salvageable, I’ll try and fix it, but I’m probably going to sell it,” she said. “I probably don’t feel comfortable living here anymore.” Spadafora recently finished repairing the home following a fire last year.

Prosecutors said Little set fires to dwellings and garbage bins near structures or in alleys. In most cases, he was captured on video wearing the same clothing, prosecutors said. He does not yet have a permanent attorney listed.

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Milwaukee, WI

Brad Paisley to perform at BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4

Published

3 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

Brad Paisley to perform at BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4

article

Brad Paisley (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

MILWAUKEE – Brad Paisley is scheduled to perform at the BMO Pavilion in Milwaukee on Sept. 4.

Ticket information

What we know:

The ticket pre-sale for Brad’s fan club members, Paisley Nation, begins on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 am. All tickets available at BradPaisley.com.

The tour will also offer a variety of VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Packages vary but include premium seats, a guided backstage tour, VIP-exclusive gift item, early entry & more. VIP package contents vary depending on the selected offer. For more information, visit VIPnation.com.

The Source: The information in this post was provided by Live Nation.

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Milwaukee, WI

WSJ: Billionaire Milwaukee Bucks co-owner targeted in extortion scheme – UPI.com

Published

15 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

WSJ: Billionaire Milwaukee Bucks co-owner targeted in extortion scheme – UPI.com

Billionaire Wes Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA club, is shown at Sun Valley, Idaho, on July 9, 2015. The Wall Street Journal on Sunday identified Edens as the victim of a billion-dollar extortion plot allegedly hatched by an ex-lover. File Photo by Andrew Gombert/EPA

May 10 (UPI) — Wes Edens, the billionaire co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and an owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, was the target of a billion-dollar extortion scheme allegedly perpetrated by an ex-lover, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

A spokesman for Edens, 64, confirmed to the newspaper that the financier is the unnamed alleged victim in a federal indictment brought against Changli “Sophia” Luo of New York City.

Edens, one of world’s most successful global investment management firm leaders with Fortress, has developed and owned businesses in real estate, transportation, infrastructure, health care, financial services, media and entertainment.

He is also a high-profile sports team owner, including the Bucks and soccer club Aston Villa of the English Premier League. He is credited turning the Bucks from a perennial cellar dweller into a champion squad over a five-year span, culminating in the 2021 NBA championship.

But he also fell victim to a lurid alleged “sextortion” scheme, his spokesman confirmed to the WSJ, admitting the Edens is the unnamed “Victim 1” cited an indictment filed last year in Manhattan federal court against Luo.

The indictment reportedly accuses her of trying to extort Victim 1 of more than $1 billion by threatening to release videos and photos of them engaged in sex. Prosecutors alleged Luo also threatened to contact the victim’s family members and business partners in a threat to destroy his fortune if he did not pay up.

According to the indictment, Luo was arrested June 14 at JFK International Airport as she tried to board a flight to China, the New York Post reported.

“Mr. Edens will be making no comment on the case as the indictment speaks for itself with respect to the charges against the defendant,” his spokesman told the Journal. “Mr. Edens expects to testify under oath at the upcoming trial.”

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee Weather: Cooler Sunday with a slight chance for sprinkles

Published

1 day ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels

Mostly sunny skies with partly sunny skies in the afternoon. There is a slight chance for a few sprinkles, but most areas remain dry. Highs near 60F on Sunday.
Patchy frost is possible again Sunday night into Monday morning as low temps inland can reach the lower 30s.
Cooler on Monday with easterly winds- low 50s near the lake to upper 50s inland.
A big boost in temperatures on Tuesday in the low 70s associated with a clipper system will bring the next chance of rain and a few storms.

Today: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
High: 60°
Wind: NW 5-15

Tonight: Mostly Clear. Patchy frost.
Low: 38°
Wind: N 5

Monday: 53 LAKE. Mostly sunny.
High: 57°
Wind: E 5-10

Tuesday: Chance storms. Breezy.
AM Low: 39° High: 71°
Wind: SW 10-25

Wednesday:Partly sunny.
AM Low: 46° High: 59°
Wind: NW 5-15

Thursday: Mostly Sunny. Slight chance sprinkles.
AM Low: 42° High: 64°
Wind: S 5-10

Friday: Chance of Rain
AM Low: 47° High: 72°
Wind: SW 5-15

6-day planner

FOX6 Weather Extras

Local perspective:

Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:

FOX6 Storm Center app

FOX LOCAL Mobile app

FOX Weather app

FOX Weather

Big picture view:

Maps and radar

We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.

School and business closings

When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.