Police Incident Reports A Selection of Noteworthy Incident Reports

Incidents listed are selected by the Officer In Charge of each shift that may have significant public interest. Incidents listed are not inclusive of all incidents. To view Calls for Services information, please visit communitycrimemap.com. Requests for information can be directed to the MPD Records Unit: (608) 266-4075.

Incident Report for Case #2022-168148

Incident Type

Non-Residential Burglary

Incident Date

05/06/2022 - 9:14 AM

Address

4900 block Commercial Ave.

Suspect(s)

Tramaine Franklin, 34

Details

The burglaries started in May and extended into July.

In early May, a suspect broke into several businesses located in the Clock Tower Plaza on Mineral Point Road. This person stole a number of items and caused thousands of dollars in damages to these businesses.

A few days later, a couple arrived to work to find someone had broken into the restaurant they owned. The business had been damaged and more than $10,000 was missing from inside.

These are just two of the cases that our Burglary Crime Unit investigated.

The investigation, while still on-going, required MPD officers to process and analyze business video, utilize our partners at the Wisconsin State Crime Lab to examine forensic evidence for DNA, and access and investigate cell phone data.

This work has led to the arrest of Tramaine Franklin, 34, of Sun Prairie.

In June, MPD and other law enforcement partners searched Franklin's apartment and found more incriminating evidence tying him to these cases.

In July, the Burglary Crime Unit and the MPD Gang and Neighborhood Crime Abatement Team (GNCAT) tracked Franklin to a house on the east side. After extended negotiations, and with the help of his family, Franklin surrendered and was safely taken into custody. At that time, he was charged with several burglaries.

Since then, an additional 11 cases have been submitted for referral to the District Attorney's Office. This brings the total to 15 commercial burglaries with additional charges for damages done to the victims.

It is estimated that in these cases along, there was over $17,000 in stolen items of value and $20,000 in property damage done. Nearly all of the victims were small, family business owners.

We, and other Dane County Law Enforcement Agencies, continue to investigate Franklin's potential role in other burglary cases.

Released 08/24/2022 at 2:42 PM by PIO Stephanie Fryer