Daughters Of Undocumented Immigrant Awarded $1.85 Million In Civil Rights Wrongful Death Lawsuit Involving Off Duty Milwaukee Police Officer

Glover's estate would have to pay 1.85 million in civil rights lawsuit instead of the City of Milwaukee and on the second trial phase, an attorney representing Prado's daughters will argue that the Milwaukee Police Department is responsible for Glover's training that led to Prado's homicide.

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 12, 2010

Milwaukee, WI - On Thursday, a federal jury awarded $1.85 million to the daughthers of the late Wilbert Javier Prado, 25, who was brutally murdered by an off duty Milwaukee Police officer in Milwaukee's. South side on March 2005. The jury found former Officer Alfonzo Glover, 35, used unreasonable force and acted under the color of the law, but was not on duty. Which means, the Glover estate would be have to pay instead of the City of Milwaukee.
The second phase of the trial began Thursday, Attorney Megan Senatori representing Prado's daughters will argue his police training led to the murder.
The civil rights lawsuit was filed on behalf of Prado's two young children and his estate, as the plaintiff's and named the city and Glover's estate as defendants. Prado's family claims that Glover as an officer who used excessive deadly force as trained by the department.
Prado, an undocumented immigrant was shot at 19 times, including being shot 8 times in the back and legs with a 45 Cal. while being chased through an alley by then Officer Glover on March 6, 2005. Glover also reloaded and fired the last two shots killing Prado while he layed face down on the ground.
A Milwaukee County District Attorney inquest jury found that Glover's actions had been justified. Glover testified that Prado had followed him from work and began flashing his lights at him. Glover said he stopped near S. 9th St. and W. Ohio Ave. and identified himself as a police officer. At first, Glover told the inquest jury that he noticed that Prado was reaching for a weapon. But, Prado then sped away in his van almost hitting Glover. Officer Glover then took out his personal weapon and began shooting at Prado. Prado crashed his van while being hit several times by bullets from Glover. Prado fled through an alley injured, bleeding and frantically screaming numerous times "Please don't kill me...please don't kill me." Some neighbors in the area reported hearing Prado pleading for mercy.
Glover had discharged his weapon a total of 19 times, and police never found a weapon on Prado or at the scene, according to the investigation.
But months later after local Latino media and members of the Hispanic community rallied and pressured former Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann to open the investigation, McCann finally did. The independent investigation found evidence that a homicide had occurred and on May 2006 McCann filed first-degree intentional homicide charges against Glover, despite opposition from the Milwaukee Police Association(MPA).
In his 38 years as D.A., McCann had never charged an officer with a homicide. John Balcerzak, then president of the MPA called for McCann's resignation "due to irresponsible handling of the investigation of Officer Glover."
After being booked on homicide charges, Glover posted $25,000 bail, and went home. Glover then committed suicide at his South side residence the same day he was charged. No note was ever found, according to police.

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Texas Chihuahua Thrives In Milwaukee's Hot And Humid Weather

August 12, 2010

Milwaukee, WI (HNNUSA) - On Wednesday, Chuiquita, originally from Laredo, Texas gets a moment to sunbathe in the sunny 87 degree weather and humid conditions in Milwaukee's South side.
Southeastern Wisconsin has been experiencing extremely hot and humid conditions this Summer and an infestation of mosquitoes.

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Mexican Consul In Chicago Violated Law, Major Latino Community Protest Set For Friday

Consul didn't meet with protesters on August 3, as required by Mexican law, according to protest organizers

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 10, 2010

Chicago, IL - On Friday, a group of Hispanic community protesters will again march and protest in front of the Mexican Consulate in Chicago, according to a press release by Yvette Anna Soto one of the key organizers. Soto says, the protest will begin a 10:30 a.m. on Friday at the Mexican Consulate, 204 S. Ashland Ave. in Chicago. Organizers will continue to protest until the Mexican Civic Society (MCS) is allowed to participate as Co-presenters of El Grito as Consul Manuel Rodríguez Arriaga had promised before last June.
The protest organizers alleged that Consul Arriaga failed to meet with them or even come out of the Consulate on August 3 and ask protesters why they were there protesting as required by Mexican law. Arriaga did sent out a representative, but the Consul is required to do it himself.
Instead Arriaga called Chicago police to remove the protesters, but police were unable too, as they were exercising their rights and in a peaceful manner.
For the last three years the Mexican Consul had been reaching out to non-profits, museums, cultural arts institutes, universities and other entities, but failed to include a large portion of the Mexican community including MCS. MCS organizers say that they were part of the Bicenntennial Mexico's Independence celebration and Arriaga had included them, until early 2009 when they discovered Arriaga had excluded them from participating.
This year they were apparently left out of the Comite Fiesta Patrias (CFP - Holiday Festive Committee) planning and steering committee for the Bicentennial celebration. The CFP committee was created in 2004 by the Mexican Consulate and today is controlled by Consul Arriaga.
In June, the MCS held a press conference to announced their decision to cancel the Mexican Independence Day parade in September.
Last week, Evelia Rodríguez, Media and Public Relations of the Mexican Civic Society says, the MCS annual cost to hold both the parade and El Grito is about $138,000. The elaborate and elegant Azteca banquet to select the MCS queen was also canceled.
Since, Consul Arriaga has taken away El Grito from us and decided to exclude us from the bicentennial celebration, we can't offer sponsorship for both the annual parade and El Grito to corporations and local businesses, according to Rodríguez.
Scholarships to help students finance part of their college costs provided from the MCS fundraising events will be effected as well.
The parade is usually done on a Saturday, a week before September 16, and El Grito is done after September 15 at midnight on September 16.
In 2008, 21 community organizations representing the Mexican community sent a letter to President Felipe Calderón complaining about Consul Arriaga, who took office in April 2007.
The complaint alleged Arriaga was arrogant, disputes, disrespected people, and ignored the needs of the Mexican community in Chicago. Arriaga lacked to understand his responsibilities that come with the job. They even wrote Calderón that Arriaga verbally attacks and offends leaders of the Mexican community based organizations looking to divide the community, reported El Diario Hoy from the Chicago Tribune.
Numerous members of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME) even supported the allegations made by the 21 community organizations. IME members alleged Arriaga was not fullfilling his duties by working with the community and had neglected to attend community events in Wisconsin when invited.
Arriaga supposedly represents the Mexican government in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Arriaga failed to comment or respond to the allegations made by the organizations in 2008.
Arriaga or President Calderón and the Mexican government has yet to comment concerning the current bicentennial community celebration crisis that Arriaga is accused of dividing the Mexican community he was hired to serve as a whole.
The Mexican Consulate in Chicago has had a history of controversy under the direction of Consul Arriaga, who won't comment on current allegations raised by the Mexican community from Illinois and Wisconsin.

In brief:

In Wisconsin, complaints have been raised by Mexican citizens that members of the Mexican Consul in Chicago who visit cities in the state apparently express the same arrogant and disrespectful attitude as Consul Arriaga towards Mexican citizens seeking the Matricula and other services. The Consul and his staff are public servants hired or appointed to provide government services to its Mexican citizens, who in return pay for those services.
In both Wisconsin and Chicago, the Mexican Consulate failed for months to notify Mexican citizens residing in the tri-state area that a business operating out of Chicago "Legalización de Autos El Mexicano" was selling false legalization documents ranging in prices between $3,000 to $7,000, which included registration of vehicle and Mexican license plates to import vehicles into Mexico. Once people reached the border or made it into Mexico, Mexican authorities discovered the documents were false and detained the document holders and confiscated vehicles.
In May, the Consulate finally issued a press release warning people these types of businesses operating in the U.S. were illegal. The Consulate indicated they had been working along with the Illinois Attorney General's Office investigation, but despite knowning since December of 2009 of the fraud, Consul Arriaga and his staff allowed Mexican citizens to continue to purchase false documents.
In April, the Illinois Attorney General Office filed a lawsuit to keep Legalización de Auto El Mexicano from operating for scamming at least 50 people of more then $79,000, not counting Waukegan and the Wisconsin operation, but by then the business had closed at 3121 W. 26th St. in Chicago, 913 Grand Ave. in Waukegan and 1239 S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Legalización de Autos business chain ended up closing due to exposure of its alleged illegal activities by Hispanic News Network U.S.A., who in December 2009 first broke the story and kept thousands of Mexican citizens from being scammed. 
In 2008, Global Search de México, S.A. de C.V. which operated Licencias Mexicanas (Mexican Licenses) in California was in Wisconsin and Chicago selling these type of illegal licenses. The fraudulant licenses were sold from the states of Veracruz, Aguascalientes, Hildago and Oaxaca for a price between $160.00 and $180.00.
Once again, the Mexican Consulate in Chicago failed to notify its Mexican citizens of the scam, eventhough they had received numerous complaints from Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. Consul Arriaga and his staff were forced to finally release a statement warning people of the scam. But by then, Licencias Mexicanas had scammed people in the U.S. for more than $6 million dollars and no one was ever prosecuted or convicted in the U.S. or in Mexico.
Licencias Mexicanas Internet information on their prior web page stated a combine of more than 40,000 licenses from the previously mentioned Mexican states have been sold in the United States of America averaging a gross total of more than 6 million dollars in taxable earnings so far, since it was established.
The Mexican licenses had been sold in the following states Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, New Mexico Nevada, New Jersey, and Texas.

Related article:

Mexican Consul Calls Chicago Police To Disperse Latinos Protesting Arriaga's Decision To Oust Mexican Civic Society http://bit.ly/9FAPy9

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Milwaukee Alderman Unveils Operation Rhino Armored Nuisance Surveillance Police Vehicle

Bottom photo: Alderman Robert G. Donovan, 8th District

Photos by HNG

Police department not responding to low priority calls concerning crime and unanswered calls by police not included in report of double digits low crime statistics within the last six months

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 10, 2010

Milwaukee, WI - On Tuesday, South side Alderman Robert G. Donovan introduced an armored vehicle to be used by police for surveillance of nuisance properties in the area. The armored vehicle was equipped by four cameras and the used vehicle was donated by Garda Security Company.
The cameras will be paid by Operation Impact Project and were installed by Cornerstone. The funds for the project comes from private businesses in the neighorhood to add overtime for police patrol in highly intensity crime reported areas.
The armored truck project is called "Operation Rhino" and it will be based in the 2nd Police District. Police and local neighborhood prosecutors will decide where the vehicle will be used to monitor an area, according to Ald. Donovan.
The vehicle painted by Maaco on S. 13th St. reflects the Milwaukee Police Department's (MPD) antiquated colors of Black and White.
Donovan wants the vehicle to be spotted by those being monitoring for nuisance in the South side. He wants the criminal element to leave Milwaukee and move to cities like Chicago, and states like Minnesota, which is less likely to happen.
During the press conference at the Christian Center, 2100 block of W. Greenfield Ave., Ald. Donovan supported a request for Police Chief Edward Flynn and the department to begin reporting actual statistics of calls made to the department and handled as low priority, in which in many cases police never show up to investigate.
A month ago, Chief Flynn reported that crime had decreased by double digits within the last six months compared to prior crime reports. South side residents and businesses dispute Flynn's statistics alleging Flynn's police policy is not to respond to low priority calls making it less likely for those calls turning into crime investigations, thus getting into the statistics.
Last week, just in the 1200 block of S. Cesar E. Chavez Drive a shoppinglifting and graffiti call was made to MPD. The business owner and others in the same block reported police never showed up.
Reports of police never showing up to low priority calls have been raising concern by residents who say it's happening throughout the City of Milwaukee, since Chief Flynn took office. 
Police District 2 Captain Donald Gagilone said, police have been answering and responding to low priority calls in the district.

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Two West Allis Police Officers Shot By 24-year-old Man Identified

Top photo: K9 Officer Ryan McNally
Bottom photo: Officer Nick Stachula
Photos courtesy of West Allis Police Department

Both officers will survive and injured suspect taken to hospital

By H. Nelson Gooson
August 10, 2010

West Allis, WI - Two West Allis officers shot after a failed traffic stop Saturday were identified as Police Officers Nick Stachula, 33, and Ryan McNally, 28. On Friday, they tried to stop a 24-year-old man after running through a red light at the 7100 block of W. Orchard St.
The suspect fled from police, but a license plate trace led the officers to the 5500 block of W. Greenfield Ave. where the vehicle was parked. The officers entered the home and were shot by the suspect, they were able to exchanged gunfire.
The suspect was reported injured and both officers were reportedly shot.
West Allis Police Chief Michael Jungbluth reported Officer Stahula with nine years in the department was shot several times in the lower body. K9 Officer McNally with six years in the department was shot once in the lower body. Both officers are expected to survive, according to Chief Jungbluth.
A tactical police unit responded to the shooting and were able to get another man who accompanied the suspect to surrender. The suspect was arrested after a four hour stand off and police were able to take control of the home. 

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Thousands Of Wisconsin State Fairgoers Undeterred By Extreme Heat Wave, Humidity And Mosquito Infestation

Kids exhibit impromtu joggling skills by Doctor Head and his son M.T. Head

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 9, 2010

West Allis, WI - On Monday, the Heads Up Juggling Revue performed on the street by the Wisconsin Expo Center during the Statefair. The 92 degree heat, mosquito infestation and humidity was unable to deter thousands of fairgoers from attending the fair.
The fair ends on August 15. :)
In another part of the U.S., the mosquito infestation along Key West area in Florida reported numerous case of mosquito transmitted dengue.
Dengue [DEN-ghee] is a flu-like viral disease spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a severe, often fatal, complication of dengue.

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20 Suspects Charged In The Wisconsin Hartford Area On $2 Million Crack-Cocaine Operation

Steven Velez

August 9, 2010

Hartford, WI (HNNUSA) - On July 29, Steven W. Derr, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcemen Administration, New England Field Division, and David Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut announced that 20 individuals have been charged with various federal narcotics trafficking offenses related to distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine in the Wisconsin Hartford area. This matter stems from a 10-month Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force investigation dubbed “Operation Slow Play.” The investigation, which included the participation of several local police departments and included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, has resulted in the seizure of approximately 26 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of crack cocaine, $650,000 in cash, one firearm, and several vehicles.

The 20 individuals charged in various counts of an eight-count indictment are:

• STEVEN VELEZ, 32, of Oak Street, New Britain,
• ANGEL MULERO, 36, of Owen Street, Hartford,
• GEDEON TORRES, also known as “Papo,” 38, of Plaza Drive, Middletown,
• ULISSIS VERDE LOPEZ, 28, of Jaidee Drive, East Hartford,
• ARIEL MENDEZ, 29, of Flatbush Avenue, Hartford,
• WILLIAM PRIETO, also known as “Gordo,” 27, of Affleck Street, Hartford,
• IVAN RODRIGUEZ, 37, of New Britain Avenue, Hartford,
• ANTHONY ALVAREZ, also known as “Tony,” 30, of Broad Street, New Britain,
• ANTONIO AYALA, 29, of Fairfield Avenue, Hartford,
• NORBERTO CASANOVA, also known as “Papito,” 44, of Cedar Street, New Britain,
• CARLOS CASTILLO, 29, of Allen Street, New Britain,
• MARISSA CRUZ, 31, of Broad Street, New Britain,
• JOSE LOPEZ-SOLIS, 34, of Oak Street, New Britain,
• HERIBERTO PEREZ, 28, of Washington Street, Wallingford,
• FRANK PUZZO, 36, of Maple Street, Rocky,
• JUAN RIVAS, also known as "Toto," 29, of Lawrence Street, Hartford,
• Hill PHILIP SAMUELS, 31, of Roberts Street, New Britain,
• JUAN SOTO, 22, of Church Street, Newington,
• ANTWAN YOPP, also known as “Twig,” 31, of Malikowski Circle, New Britain,
• ORLANDO ZAYAS, 37, of Lasalle Street, New Britain

According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, the DEA Task Force investigation revealed that VELEZ had allegedly been trafficking in kilogram quantities of cocaine and multi-ounce quantities of crack cocaine. It is alleged that VELEZ received the cocaine from MULERO, who had received it from a source outside of Connecticut. On June 15, 2010, law enforcement received information that TORRES, an associate of MULERO’s, traveled to Philadelphia to pick up a substantial quantity of drug money. In the early morning hours of June 16, TORRES was the subject of a law enforcement traffic stop during which approximately $100,000 was seized from the trunk of his car. 
Later that morning, MULERO and VERDE LOPEZ were arrested at MULERO’s apartment at 16 Owen Street in Hartford. During a search of the apartment, law enforcement personnel found approximately 21 kilograms of cocaine and $500,000 in cash.  VELEZ was arrested later that same day and an additional five kilograms of cocaine and approximately $20,000 was seized from him.
On June 30, 2010, a federal grand jury sitting in New Haven returned an indictment charging VELEZ, MULERO, TORRES, VERDE and 16 others with various federal narcotics offenses. On July 14 and July 15, PRIETO and MENDEZ were arrested. It is alleged that MULERO supplied PRIETO with kilogram quantities of cocaine, and that MENDEZ was an alternate cocaine source of supply to VELEZ. On July 19, in a coordinated sweep conducted by the law enforcement personnel from the DEA and several local police departments, 13 of the 14 remaining defendants were arrested and presented in the U.S. District Court in Hartford. On July 21, the final defendant, ANTHONY ALVAREZ, turned himself into the DEA.
If convicted, a number of the defendants face a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum term of life, and fines of up to $4,000,000. Due to prior narcotics trafficking convictions, a number of defendants face increased penalties.
In addition to the significant resources provided by the New Britain Police Department, U.S. Attorney Fein, specifically noted the critical assistance the Newington, Windsor, Wethersfield, Wallingford, Manchester, and Hartford Police Departments contributed to the investigation. Additional assistance has been provided by the United States Marshal’s Service an State of Connecticut Office of Parole.

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