Alderman Stops at Accident, Reports Drunken Driver

A Brookfield alderman who stopped after seeing an SUV in a ditch says something wasn't right when a woman outside the vehicle didn't seem keen on calling police for help.

Ald. Bill Carnell drove home and called police, who investigated and arrested the 58-year-old male driver for first-offense drunken driving, police reports say.

Carnell said he was heading home after a Water & Sewer Board meeting Tuesday evening when he saw a SUV "in the most improbable position in the ditch" near Burlawn Parkway and Hampstead Drive.

"It was impossible to even understand how he got there," Carnell said. "Sometimes kids are using 4-wheel-drive vehicles to go through these ditches so I thought maybe he was trying that."

He drove alongside it and asked a woman standing outside the SUV if someone had called police for help. She replied in an incoherent, garbled manner, he said.

"I thought I hope this guy hasn't been drinking," Carnell said.

Police reports said when officers arrived the male driver was "very incoherent" and spinning the vehicle's tires, trying to get out of the ditch. He said he had missed his turn.

The man failed field sobriety tests and was taken to Elmbrook Memorial Hospital for a blood draw, the results of which were not available, before he was released to ride home with another driver.

In other Brookfield police calls:

Injured hawk? The was investigating a report Wednesday of an injured hawk reported near the 16000 block of Lower Valley Ridge Drive.

Credit card fraud at hospital: Elmbrook Memorial Hospital reported Thursday that someone opened a commercial credit card under the hospital's name and purchased a $629 laptop computer that was delivered to an unknown person at the hospital Sept. 7. The hospital discovered another illegally opened account at Staples and closed it.

You've won! Brookfield residents weren't fooled and called police to report claims of major winnings. One Burleigh Road woman said a caller told her that her husband had won a Mercedes Benz but needed to send $799 via Western Union to get the car. In another case, a Forest View Lane man said he got a call that he had won $2 million and a new BMW car but needed to send $850 via Western Union as a "verification fee." Both ignored the pleas and called police.

Gun stolen in 1994 found? Police were investigating whether a .22-caliber Beretta reported Thursday found by Kentucky State Police was the same one reported stolen in Brookfield in 1994. Brookfield police said their victim was deceased and it might be difficult to determine whether the gun was the same, because many older firearms had duplicate serial numbers.

Inappropriate images case unfounded: Staff at contacted police Thursday after finding students possessing inappropriate pictures or potential child pornography. Officers investigated and found no illegal images and no case for prosecution.

Inappropriate touching: Police were continuing to investigate a complaint Friday that a 13-year-old male student at might have inappropriately touched a 12-year-old female student.

Car break-in: A woman reported that someone smashed the window of her 2009 Pontiac Vibe about 1 p.m. Friday and stole her purse. The car was parked in a lot at East, 19990 River Road.

Stealing checks from grandmother: A 25-year-old man was arrested on theft charges on allegations he stole five blank checks from his grandmother in the 2400 block of N. 128th St. Police were investigating if the man also was the one who cashed the checks for a total of $850.

Skateland threat: Security at Butler Skateland, 12400 W. Custer Ave. in Butler, told police about 9 p.m. Saturday that patrons said three males in a burgundy Chevy SUV had threatened to "shoot up the place." The males left Skateland, returned about 15 minutes later and parked along North 124th Street but drove off again after security approached and didn't return. No weapon was ever observed.

Harassing phone calls: A San Raphael Drive man told police Nov. 7 he was receiving harassing phone calls from a woman advertising diabetes medication who kept calling him after he told her to stop. A police officer tried the number, got a voice mail and advised the man to call the AT&T Annoyance Call Bureau.

Fox at mall: called police Nov. 7 to seek removal of a fox lying in bushes near the store that appeared sick. A mall maintenance employee, however, said the fox as not sick or injured and lived in the area. officials said they then would not remove the animal. But at 2 a.m. Nov. 14 a dead fox was found and moved out of traffic at Main Street and Blue Mound Road near the mall.

Reckless student driver: A Pewaukee man said a grey Mercedes C300 was driving recklessly during the noon hour Nov. 7, almost striking a vehicle on Capitol Drive, and riding other vehicles' bumpers before pulling into 's Upper School parking lot. The driver was an 18-year-old student who said he almost changed lanes in front of another car but denied other reckless driving. The school said it would suspend his off-campus lunch privileges.

Egging outside shopping center: A boy called police to say as he and seven friends left the restaurant at the Ruby Isle shopping center at 1:17 p.m. Nov. 7 a white Cadillac drove by and a male inside threw eggs at them, hitting the building and one of his friends.

Gas drive-off: The driver of a silver SUV pumped $79.31 of gasoline and drove off without paying about 5 p.m. Nov. 7 at The Brookfield Place service station, 3075 N. 124th St. The Elm Grove SUV owner was contacted and made arrangements to pay.

Shopping cart hit-and-run: A witness saw someone push a shopping cart, which knocked a car, causing minor damage to the rear side panel in the parking lot at , 17295 W. Capitol Dr., about 1 p.m. Wednesday. The witness left a note with the vehicle information of the cart-pusher on the car struck. It turned out both the cart-pusher and the owner of of the car struck worked for Pick 'n Save and agreed to resolve it without police.

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The above items are from reports from local police departments. In all incidents where an arrest occurred, a charge is merely an accusation and not evidence of guilt. The arrested person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.