WAUKESHA — A 23-year-old Waukesha man is accused of sexually assaulting a store owner at a business in downtown Waukesha.
Kendrew Wilson Jr. was charged with first-degree sexual assault of an elder and misdemeanor bail jumping, repeater. If convicted, Wilson faces over 60 years in prison. On Tuesday, Wilson’s signature bond was set at $2 million. His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.
Waukesha police met with a victim of a sexual assault at the hospital on Feb. 23. The 68-year-old woman told police she was working at her store in downtown Waukesha when a man entered the store at 6:30 p.m. and asked for money, according to the criminal complaint.
After telling the man she had no money, he asked to use her phone since his was dead. The woman allowed him to use her phone and observed him making a call and looking at a credit card while entering info from the back of the card, the complaint said.
She asked him how he got to her business and he replied he just got out of jail. The woman asked what he was arrested for, and he told her disorderly conduct and resisting arrest from an incident on a bus. They continued to make small talk, and he asked what she was working on. She moved towards him to show him what she was working on when he pushed her onto a table, the complaint said.
The woman told the man to stop and continued to fight him until he slammed her on the ground. He removed her pants and underwear, the complaint said. The woman told police he covered up her face, mouth and nose. He stated, “(Expletive) stop fighting me, I’ll kill you if you move. I have something in my backpack and I will kill you with it,” the complaint said.
After the assault, the man squirted hand sanitizer from the counter on the woman, the complaint said.
The man apologized and said he has needs and rage. He said he felt bad and wanted to come back and check on the woman. She said no. When he left she drove to the hospital, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators checked the Waukesha County Jail about newly-released individuals and also checked into arrests associated with Metro Transit. According to reports of a previous incident on a bus and the jail clerk, Wilson was released on Feb. 22, according to the complaint.
Investigators also found the number Wilson allegedly used on the business owner’s phone. It was associated with a net spend card issued to people released from custody who still have money on the books, the complaint said.
According to online court records, Wilson was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct as a repeater for an incident on the Metro Transit. Wilson was released on bail on Feb. 16. He was in custody on a probation and parole hold until Feb. 22, at which time he was released from custody.
Response to assault
Waukesha Police Capt. Dan Baumann said officers met with the victim at a hospital on Feb. 23. He released a media advisory on Tuesday.
“Upon receiving the information, we utilized all available resources to locate this unknown suspect. City of Waukesha Dispatchers and investigators scoured the Opti Cop cameras, body worn cameras and prior incidents with potential suspects matching that description. Specific details offered to us by the crime victim led us to a person of interest that we were able to match those details from prior law enforcement contacts.
“Due to the potential threat the suspect posed to the public an exigent circumstance ping on the suspect’s phone was placed. We were able to locate the suspect in another jurisdiction. We leveraged our partnerships with these agencies, and they were able to locate the suspect in short order. This was an all-hands-on deck investigation that did not stop until the suspect was located.
“We leveraged all the city of Waukesha’s investments in training and technology. We utilized our long-standing partnerships with outside agencies and above all we never left the side of the crime victim until the suspect was brought into custody.
“The criminal complaint will identify what can be released at this time. To note, this is a predator and clearly warranted the significant response from the Waukesha Police Department. To our officer and investigators who tirelessly worked on this investigation, we thank you. Their number one focus was the advocation of the crime victim,” Baumann said.
Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly told The Freeman: “My heart goes out to the business owner. Sexual assault does not end when the physical assault ends. There are physical injuries and there are also injuries to one’s mental health, which is likely to be long-term. Please pray for the physical and the emotional recovery of this individual. What happened to this survivor was wrong and unacceptable. Sexual assault is never the victim’s fault. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, the Waukesha County Women’s Center has a twenty-four hotline. Please call if you need help,” Reilly said.
For emergency services, call the 24-hour hotline at 262-5423828. The Women’s Center is located at 505 North East Ave.
