Both Pietura and Mendoza facing life in prison for the brutal homicide of 5-year-old McCree.
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
October 30, 2023
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Monday, David E. Pietura Jr., 27, and Erik J. Mendoza, 15, (charged as an adult) were charged with 1st-degree intentional homicide in connection with the homicide of Prince Rashon McCree, 5, who was reported missing, but no Amber Alert was sent out by authorities and last seen on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 around 1:00 p.m. at the 2400 block of N. 54th St. in Milwaukee.
According to police, McCree's body was located in a dumpster on Thursday morning, October 26 at around 8:30 a.m. at the 5500 block of W. Vliet St..
In addition to 1st-degree intentional homicide and PTC charges, both Pietura and Mendoza were charged with physical abuse of a child, repeated acts causing death including party to a crime (PTC) and hiding a corpse including PTC.
Mendoza was charged with three additional felony counts for 1st-degree recklessly endangering safety and use of a dangerous weapon.
According to the criminal complaint, Mendoza admitted to police that he strangled McCree. Pietura told police that he walked in when Mendoza was strangling McCree. McCree regained consciousness multiple times, but was beaten each time with a barbell, choked by each suspect, punched with closed fists and kicked in the head, used the concrete base of a birdbath to strike his head several times and also used a golf club to strike his body and head until he was eventually killed.
Mendoza's charges also alleged and include confessions by Mendoza that on October 23, 2023, he deliberately stabbed two males ages 18 and 14, also a 38-year-old female who were totalled strangers to Mendoza. Mendoza told police that he just went on a stabbing spree because he was bored, but later felt bad.
The criminal complaint also says, that while McCree attempted to revive (showed signs of whimpering), both Pietura and Mendoza took turns in beating McCree with a golf club, and Pietura picked up a concrete base of a birdbath and dropped it on McCree's head multiple times as Mendoza stomped on McCree's head repeatedly.
Pietura also told police that Mendoza told him that he wanted to kill someone and that he didn't like McCree.
Pietura after McCree was killed, he tied the body with duct tape and place it in a garbage bag.
They were both caught by a video surveillance camera carrying McCree's body in a garbage bag through an alley and cellphone GPS placed both Pietura and Mendoza where McCree's body was dumped in a dumpster.
David E. Pietura's criminal complaint: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:f420178a-ba50-4d03-b0ed-6af11127ca25
Erik J. Mendoza's criminal complaint: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:1ed5910f-482e-4b48-abd3-11711f3065eb
Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)
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