Six children, ranging in age from two months to nine years, were discovered locked inside a storage facility on Milwaukee’s north side early Tuesday morning, leading to the arrest of two adults.
Milwaukee police arrived at the storage facility at 27th Street and Silver Spring Drive at 1:36 a.m. on Tuesday, September 16, after receiving a report of children being locked in a unit.
According to authorities, officers discovered the children inside the flat at ages 2 months, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9.
In connection with the incident, authorities arrested a 26-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man. Police stated that all of the children were uninjured.
A neighbor who didn’t want to appear on camera told TMJ4’s Jenna Rae that she had seen what seemed to be a family with children walking in and around the storage unit since the summer. The neighbor claimed she saw the group leave every morning and return at night.
“I’m shocked, I’m confused, I’m like, you don’t see kids in here ever. So how is that possible?” Donnie Earl, who rents a unit at StorSafe, said.
Earl said he visits the facility every day and has never seen any children there.
“The whole time I been here I never seen any kids,” Earl said.
Mac, who stores his trucking company’s cars at the site, voiced similar disbelief regarding the incident.
“Never seen kids walking around here no. Not at all,” Mac said. “That’s horrible, you know, where are the parents.”
Mac stated that he visits the storage facility frequently, possibly daily, for business operations.
“You said they were locked in the storage?” Mac asked. “Yeah that’s crazy right there.”
The StorSafe facility advertises 24-hour surveillance and top-tier security features, with cameras visible throughout the premises. However, some regular customers questioned the security system’s effectiveness.
The neighbors expressed surprise upon discovering children imprisoned in a storage unit.
“I’m looking to probably go to another storage unit soon,” Mac said.
The on-site manager declined to comment. Attempts to contact StorSafe management using the stated phone number were fruitless.
Police have not revealed the connection between the detained adults and the children or the events that led to the kids being put in the storage unit.
The investigation is underway.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office will review the charges.