Car stolen in Milwaukee on Christmas Eve gets into fiery Christmas Day crash
By Emily Pofahl
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MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A Milwaukee mother and business owner’s car was stolen from her driveway Christmas Eve, then involved in a fiery crash that sent three people to the hospital Christmas Day.
Milwaukee police say the crash happened at about 3 p.m. near 68th Street and Fiebrantz Avenue when a driver of an SUV failed to yield the right of way and collided with another car. The SUV then hit an unoccupied vehicle and then a tree. It then caught on fire.
Video of the fiery aftermath was posted online.
“I knew instantly when I saw the video, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, that is my car,'” said Baboonie Tatum, the car’s owner.
Tatum’s daughter discovered the car missing on Christmas Eve, along with discovering that two other family cars in their driveway near 27th and State streets had been ransacked. Tatum said the thieves stole multiple items and opened some Christmas gifts the family had stored in the vehicles.
Tatum believes the thieves used a key fob programmer to access the locked cars without breaking any windows. WISN 12 News has previously reported on the rise in the use of technology that makes it easier to break into vehicles.
“We need to talk to the car dealerships and the people that are making these gadgets that are able to start cars,” she said.
Two 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old inside Tatum’s car were taken to the hospital and subsequently arrested. Police told Tatum the three found with her car after the crash are the three who stole it in the first place.
“It’s just frustrating, though, you know? I work hard. I don’t bother anybody. I go to work, I go home, that’s it. For somebody to take something that I work hard for — it’s frustrating,” Tatum said.
The police confirmed that the three individuals taken to the hospital will survive and have been arrested, with charges being referred to the district attorney.
Despite the setback, Tatum, who owns Rise and Grind Cafe on MLK Drive, plans to start saving for a replacement car.
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