Milwaukee-area businesses hit by overnight break-ins

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Two Milwaukee-area businesses were targeted by burglars overnight.

An attempted break-in happened at Harry's Bar and Grill, located on Oakland Avenue at the Shorewood-Milwaukee border. Early Tuesday morning, their front door was shattered.

We spoke with a manager who told us the alarm system prevented the burglars from breaching the second door. Despite the setback, Harry's Bar and Grill served customers later in the day.

Just a mile and a half away, K-R-S Hair and Wax Studio at the corner of Locust and Bremen was not so fortunate. The perpetrators broke down the front door and managed to steal valuables. This incident is disheartening for the co-owners, Chris and Kimberly Wilder, who are celebrating their 24th marriage anniversary while cleaning up broken glass.

"I feel violated. I feel that a piece of what we have built is gone," Chris said.

Kimberly Wilder says the salon has been a staple of the Riverwest community for 19 years.

"We haven't experienced anything like this, but we know that some businesses and neighbors have," she said. "In my mind, poverty is a thing -- everything costs more, and people are desperate."

The Milwaukee Police Department confirms they are investigating the burglary in the Riverwest neighborhood. There is currently no evidence linking it to the one attempted in Shorewood.

According to the latest available data, property crime in Milwaukee has decreased by 13% in 2023 compared to the previous year. 

Harry's Bar and Grill is operating normally, while K-R-S Hair and Wax Studio will resume its regular appointment schedule on Thursday.