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.

MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man has entered a guilty plea in connection with a homicide that occurred in Milwaukee in May 2023. Antonio Carr is accused of helping the person responsible for the north side homicide.

Carr was initially charged with harboring or aiding a felon and bail jumping (felony). Carr pleaded guilty to one count of harboring or aiding a felon on June 20. The charge of bail jumping was dismissed and read into the court record for the purposes of sentencing. 

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 29.

Case details

According to the criminal complaint, a Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputy responded to a freeway shooting the morning of May 3. It happened on the southbound Highway 145 on-ramp at Silver Spring Drive. Despite life-saving attempts, the victim ultimately died at the scene from three gunshot wounds.

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A detective later spoke to a person who said she was a passenger in the victim’s vehicle. This person stated, per the complaint, the victim driving when the “car in front of them stopped, the drive got out and began to shoot” into their vehicle. The person described the attacker’s “car” as a “blue/gray tall work van.”

Milwaukee homicide; Highway 145 at 76th Street off-ramp

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The victim’s vehicle was equipped with a video camera which showed the events leading up to the shooting. The complaint states the victim is heard saying: “Dude, drive you big (expletive) van. What are you doing fool? What is you doing?” A person then got out of the van and approached the victim’s car before four gunshots are heard.

Several hours later, a green van was located underneath a bridge near 35th Street and Arthur Avenue in Milwaukee. The bottom of a burned, red gasoline can was recovered from behind the front passenger seat under melted debris, and that the damage to the van was extensive.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office found surveillance video from the roadways near the homicide scene – and confirmed the burned van was the vehicle driven by the shooter, the complaint states.

Vehicle burned near 35th and Arthur, Milwaukee (May 3, 2023)

The complaint states a detective spoke to Carr, who admitted to “being at or near both the homicide and burnt van locations.” However, Carr said he went to the homicide scene “because he saw it on the news” and that he was near the van “because he was on the south side to ‘bust a move.’”

The detective found text messages between another individual and Carr in which he “sends that person a news story about the homicide and the text, ‘on my baby he killed him,’” the complaint states. The person then responded with advice about how to dispose of the van. A short time later, Carr texted, “Done.”

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Rhys Hoskins put Milwaukee ahead for good with a grand slam during a five-run rally in the sixth inning and the Brewers beat Texas 6-3 on Monday to snap the Rangers’ four-game winning streak.

“It was a big situation in the game,” said Hoskins, who homered for the first time since June 3. “I’ve learned pretty quickly that the game is always going to throw the next moment right at you. You’ve just got to stay ready, regardless of how it’s gone. I learned from a coach you’ve got to want that fifth at-bat, even if you’re 0 for 4.”

Adolis García homered for the Rangers.

Milwaukee pounded the Rangers’ bullpen after Texas’ Michael Lorenzen held the Brewers scoreless for the first four innings. Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio raced home on Lorenzen’s two-out wild pitch in the fifth to end a streak of 26 straight shutout innings by Rangers pitchers.

That represented the Rangers’ longest stretch of consecutive shutout innings since July 2011, when they threw 33 straight.

Milwaukee trailed 3-1 when William Contreras hit a leadoff double in the sixth to knock Lorenzen out of the game. The Rangers brought in Jacob Latz, who hadn’t allowed a run in his eight relief appearances this month.

After Latz walked Christian Yelich and Willy Adames to load the bases. Hoskins sent a first-pitch fastball into the left-field seats to give the Brewers their first lead of the game.

Hoskins’ third career grand slam was his 11th homer of the season.

“Just trying to get something up, regardless of first pitch or not,” Hoskins said. “Just really trying to be ready to hit. There have been times I think in the last month where I’ve been a little passive. The situation called for something up, and I was just happy to not miss it.”

Latz (2-2) gave up three runs, two hits and two walks without getting anyone out.

“He has been so good for us,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s going to happen occasionally. Looking back, it’s the walks that hurt him.”

Andruw Monasterio added a two-out RBI single later in the sixth inning to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 6-3.

Jared Koenig walked the bases loaded in the seventh inning before striking out Nathaniel Lowe to preserve the Brewers’ 6-3 advantage. Joel Payamps pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Trevor Megill worked the ninth for his 16th save in 17 opportunities.

Brewers starter Freddy Peralta struck out six and allowed two runs, four hits and two walks in five innings. Lorenzen also worked five innings and struck out five while yielding two runs, five hits and one walk.

Milwaukee’s Elvis Peguero (5-2) allowed one run and two hits in one inning of relief.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: RHP Max Scherzer indicated he felt a little thumb soreness – something that didn’t surprise Bochy – after the three-time Cy Young Award winner threw five scoreless innings Sunday in his 2023 debut. Scherzer had dealt with thumb soreness during his rehabilitation appearances after undergoing surgery in mid-December to repair a herniated disk in his lower back. The 39-year-old has a bullpen session Tuesday and is on track to start again Friday at Baltimore.

“I’m not surprised he’s a little sore,” Bochy said. “I talked about this a little earlier. You go down and do your rehab, but there’s something about when you get into a major league stadium and get the juices going and adrenaline going. He’s going to turn it up a notch, which he did. We’ll see how he’s doing the next couple of days.”

Brewers: RHP Taylor Clarke has a toe issue that caused him to get placed on the minor-league injured list. Clarke has been pitching for Triple-A Nashville.

TRANSACTION

After the Brewers designated him for assignment last week, RHP Elieser Hernández cleared waivers and elected free agency. Hernández went 0-0 with a 3.00 ERA in four appearances for the Brewers.

UP NEXT

LHP Andrew Heaney (2-8, 4.21 ERA) pitches for Texas and RHP Bryse Wilson (4-3, 4.24) starts for Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

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