48-year-old Wisconsin State Representative Sylvia N. Ortiz-Velez (D-Milw) Enters No Contest Plea To Misdemeanor Disorderly Conduct In Milwaukee County

Ortiz-Velez pleaded no contest to misdemeanor criminal charge of disorderly conduct after a dispute over several legislative resolutions that got to personal in nature.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 13, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Friday, Wisconsin State Representative Sylvia N. Ortiz-Velez, 48, (D-Milw) in a plea agreement with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office entered a "no contest" plea to one misdemeanor criminal count for disorderly conduct. Rep. Ortiz-Velez in return for her plea agreement, she 

received a $300 fine, must provide DNA, plus court costs including no probation, nor jail time. Ortiz-Velez was facing 90 days in jail and up to $1,000 in fines, if convicted.

Rep. Ortiz-Velez released a statement regarding her decision to plea "no contest". Pleading no contest, means that you are not pleading guilty, but you do know that the prosecution has enough evidence to prosecute you.

The misdemeanor criminal charge of disorderly conduct against Rep. Ortiz-Velez was in connection with alleged threats to Wisconsin State Representative Priscilla Prado, 42, (D-Milw) over a dispute regarding a Hispanic Month Joint 2025 Resolution and a Veteran's Hispanic Heritage Month Resolution during last year's Hispanic Heritage Month in the State.

Rep. Prado in the criminal complaint says that Ortiz-Velez had threatened her and that she would expose her and another male state legislator for alleged certain personal information regarding them. The criminal complaint did not specifically identify those alleged personal attacks.

During the court initial hearing on Friday, Micheal L. Chermin, the attorney representing Ortiz-Velez revealed that the alleged personal attack that was not included (mentioned) in the criminal complaint was that Rep. Prado allegedly engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior and drunkenness (while at a Democrat party gatherings). 

Attorney Chermin also told the court that Rep. Ortiz-Velez had talked on the phone with the minority Democrat leadership (Rep. Kalan Haywood) who recorded the call without her knowing, which Ortiz-Velez told him about Rep. Prado's inappropriate behavior while in office. Then the minority Democrat leadership used the call against Ortiz-Velez for Prado to filed criminal charges against her.

Then in September 2025, Rep. Ortiz-Velez was allegedly accused by multiple Democrats including State Assembly Representative Greta Neubauer, 34, (D-Racine) that Rep. Ortiz-Velez had made a gun threat against certain Democrats, but Ortiz-Velez denied the allegations and no criminal charges were ever filed against her by Capitol Police.

HNNUSA learned in September that she had talked to Rep. Neubauer about the Hispanic joint resolutions pending, then Rep. Kalan Haywood, 26, (D-Milw) talked to Rep. Ortiz-Velez on the phone while he was recording her without her knowing. Haywood then shared the recorded call with Rep. Neubauer who then shared it with Capitol Police claiming that Rep. Ortiz-Velez had threatened to shoot up the dems. Which after an investigation and speaking to Rep. Ortiz-Velez, they found no probable cause to charge Ortiz-Velez. Ortiz-Velez in her alleged threats had used a metaphor, according to Capitol Police.

Rep. Ortiz-Velez claimed that Rep. Neubauer and others were targeting her because she was going to propose legislation in connection with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley who exceeded his powers during the COVID-19 crisis in 2010, when Ortiz-Velez was a Southside Milwaukee County Supervisor. Rep. Ortiz-Velez was able to introduce legislation to limit the powers of County Executives and it passed into law. (Article and Facebook post links: http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2025/09/wisconsin-state-rep-greta-neubauer-d.html and https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BvjthTz9r/)

Crowley (D-Milw) is a candidate for Wisconsin Governor.

On February 20, 2026, Rep. Ortiz-Velez during the State Assembly floor address, she exposed Rep. Neubauer, the minority leader of prohibiting other Dems in the State Assembly from voting with Republicans on issues they favored.

Rep. Ortiz-Velez actively campaigned to elect Rep. Prado into office, and once Prado was elected, she later turned on Ortiz-Velez.

Editor's note: The Milwaukee County Court records in CCAP first reported that on Friday, Rep. Sylvia N. Ortiz-Velez entered a Not Guilty plea, then she decided to enter a "No Contest" plea, but CCAP then in a error reported that Ortiz-Velez pleaded guilty, which is an error committed by the court staffer logging the court results.

Wanted 35-year-old Tow Truck Driver Johnathan Jay Otto Fatally Shot By Milwaukee Police Officer In The Southside Of Milwaukee

35-year-old Otto was fatally shot by a Milwaukee police officer in the Southside of Milwaukee.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 12, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Thursday, a Milwaukee police officer who was holding to the driver's side door of a flatbed White tow truck fatally shot Johnathan Jay Otto, 35, a Native-American, who was the truck driver who failed to stop.

The officer attempted to arrest Otto by his residence for a parole violation, but he sped away with a passenger in the tow truck, while the officer held on to the driver's side door. The officer told Otto multiple times to stop or he would shoot him, but Otto kept on going and the officer then shot him. The tow truck then stopped at the 1500 block of W. Grant Street in the Southside of Milwaukee.

Ana Rios released the video recording to media showing the tow truck moving while the Milwaukee police officer held on.

According to Otto's wife on Wednesday, in a posted social media video (6:57 minutes) says, that she witnessed her husband get killed by a Milwaukee police officer, who jumped on the tow truck and wouldn't get off when asked by her and her husband Otto to get off. She said, that Otto stopped twice for the officer to get off the truck, but he wouldn't get off. She said that, Otto was driving at least 20 mph, but stopped twice for the officer to get off, she begged the officer to get off, but he wouldn't, then the officer told Otto "I'm going to fucking kill you", he grabbed his gun and shot Otto on the head at point blank. Otto died in front of his wife. She also alleged that Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey B. Norman lied about what had happen and she is seeking justice for Johnathan Otto. (Facebook video by Otto's wife at link: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FBmmwtBqb/)

The Milwaukee Police Department released the following press release regarding the police involved shooting.

On Thursday, March 12, 2026, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Milwaukee Police Department officers along with a Department of Corrections Agent responded to the 1900 block of South 12th Street to check for a wanted suspect with a parole violation.

Upon arrival, an officer in full uniform encountered the suspect who was inside a full-sized flatbed tow truck with a passenger in the truck. The officer approached the suspect and ordered that he exit the truck. The suspect refused and the officer attempted to remove him from the truck at which time the suspect immediately started the vehicle and suddenly drove off at a high rate of speed while the officer was clinging to the suspect and the driver's side window.

The suspect drove the truck for several blocks as the officer clung to the side of the truck. The officer gave several commands to the suspect to stop the truck, even informing the suspect that if he did not stop he would shoot. The suspect continued to refuse these commands multiple times. At this time, the officer discharged his firearm subsequently striking the suspect, and finally stopping the truck.

While this was occurring, the officer's partner was in pursuit of the truck with lights and sirens activated attempting to catch up to pull over the truck.

The suspect, a 35-year-old male, sustained fatal injuries. The passenger was not physically injured by the gunfire but was transported for medical treatment out of an abundance of caution. We recognize that exposure to incidents like this are traumatic and our thoughts are with the passenger.

The officer that discharged his firearm is a 46-year-old male with over 21 years of service. 

He was transported to a hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries. He will be placed on administrative duty as is routine in officer involved shootings.

The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team will be investigating this incident. The West Allis Police Department is the lead investigating agency.

Once An Inspiring Reggaetón Artist, 37-year-old Miguel A. Aponte Sentenced To Life In Prison, Eligible For Parole in 40 Years, For The 2023 Homicide Of Laeng Sanavongsay, 49, In Ozuakee County

Aponte, an inspiring Reggaetón freestyling singing artist from Waukesha gets life in prison for the homicide of Laeng Sanavongsay in the Town of Grafton in Ozuakee County.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 11, 2026

Town of Grafton, Wisconsin - On Monday, Miguel A. Aponte, 37, of New Berlin,  also known as "Incredulo", a inspiring popular Reggaetón freestyling singing artist from Waukesha County was sentenced to life in prison, but will be eligible for parole (supervision) in 40 years, in Ozuakee County for the March 4, 2023 homicide of Laeng Sanavongsay, 49, from Texas in the Town of Grafton in Ozuakee County. Sanavongsay's body was found in the back seat of a charred vehicle, with a gunshot wound to the right of the victim's head. 

A jury found Aponte guilty of 1st-degree intentional homicide including party to a crime and bail jumping, according to Ozuakee County court records.

The Ozuakee County Medical Examiner's Office (OCMEO) determined that Sanavongsay's death was a homicide. The OCMEO also found that Sanavongsay had also suffered several broken ribs and that his wrist showed signs of being bound.

Sanavongsay's body was found in the back seat of a rental car from Illinois, with tape on his mouth and hands bound. The vehicle was set on fire on the side of Highway C near Tallgrass Drive in the Town of Grafton. 

Aponte was connected to the homicide by DNA found in the vehicle and the victim's cellphone tracking showed he was at the proximity of where Aponte lived before his body was found.

The Sanavongsay homicide case remains open, Aponte's accomplices have not been arrested in the case. According to the Ozuakee County District Attorney's Office, Aponte did not acted alone.

Chicago Couple, Vanessa Soler, 43, And Rob Villanueva, 50, Taunted Mexican Folkloric Dancers With Racist ICE Threats And Threw Unidentified Liquid At Teens, Including Women Over The Weekend

A Chicago couple is facing backlash after a 43-year-old woman and her 50-year-old boyfriend were video recorded taunting and making racist USICE remarks and threats including throwing an unidentified liquid at Mexican Folkloric teen dancers over the weekend.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 9, 2026

Chicago, Illinois - Last Friday, a group of teens who were leaving the Ballad Folklorico de Chicago dance studio in the Avondale neighborhood were met with a couple identified as Vanessa Soler, 43, and Robert "Rob" Villanueva, 50, who were on the second floor balcony of the backside of their apartment building taunting and making USICE racist remarks at women and the teens. Soler in a recorded video of the incident is heard telling the teens, "you're lucky ICE is not here" and her boyfriend Villanueva is also heard repeating what Soler had shouted at the women and teens. Villanueva is also seen going into the apartment and then coming out with a container and he then throws an unidentified liquid at multiple teens and at three women ages, 40, 41 and 43 who were  downstairs and he repeats it again.

Soler and Villanueva allegedly told media outlets that the teens were making noise while they were passing by their apartment building alley at 4010 - 4008 W. Wellington Ave. in Chicago.

The parents of the teens called and Miriam Gómez, an instructor of the Ballad Folklorico de Chicago says, that it's not the first time that Soler and Villanueva have made racist remarks at the teens from the dance studio.

Gómez is filing a protective order (restraining order) against Soler and Villanueva.

In a press release on Saturday, the Ballad Folklorico de Chicago at 3006 N. Pulaski Rd. says, "We have filed a police report and will filing a protective order on Monday and press charges. Behavior like that is Not Ok!"

Update: Robert Villanueva, 50, has been charged with 5 misdemeanor counts for simple battery in Cook County and has a scheduled court appearance for April 9, 2026.

MATC Ignores Communities Of Color Needs, President Dr. Anthony Cruz Has Refused To Restore The Multicultural Student Services At The Technical College

The current MATC administration under Dr. Cruz has become one of the most scandalous in the college's history, and accountability is needed to address these ongoing issues.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 6, 2026

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - In previous news reports, Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) had identified the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) Human Services Office led by Vice-President and Chief Human Resource Officer Laquitha Bonds-Jones as the epicenter of the alleged troublesome and scandalous internal acts perpetuated under Bonds-Jones that have affected part-time instructors and other employees. 

Under Bonds-Jones, wages from part-time instructors were cut without them or the Local 212 (MATC union) knowing about it until employees discovered the wage discrepancy and the MATC union addressed the issue. MATC had to compensate cut wages to the part-time instructors in a timely manner. Then under Bonds-Jones, once again it was discovered that the Human Resources had decreased sick leave pay for part-time instructors without them knowing until it was discovered. 

To date, the earned sick leave pay has not been fully restored to the MATC part-time instructors, according to sources. Also, Bonds-Jones was allegedly caught by Local 212 altering approved policies without any authorization from Dr. Anthony Cruz, President of MATC or the MATC Board of Trustees including the knowledge of Local 212, which affected MATC instructors and employees. (Article link: http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2025/10/300-matc-part-time-instructors-win-back.html)

Another matter was also exposed when the MATC Board of Trustees heard public comment testimony in a meeting in 2024, that the Human Resources hired a non-bilingual (Spanish-English) instructor to teach an economics course advertised as a bilingual courses. To make it even worst, then MATC canceled an economic bilingual course in 2025 when students had already registered to take, in order for MATC not to hire or promote a part-time bilingual instructor to full-time instructor. (October 2024 video testimony: https://youtu.be/Lm_ImpZGXn4)

Under Dr. Cruz, MATC Board of Trustees and Bonds-Jones, four student services specialists from the Office of Multicultural Student Services were terminated when the student services were eliminated in August 2025 and replaced by the Office of Community Impact to comply with Trump's executive order to eliminate all race based programs under Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), which multiple federal courts ruled that Trump's directive was illegal and unconstitutional because it violated instructors free speech in their classrooms. (Article link: https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/department-of-education-backs-down-on-unlawful-directive-targeting-educational-equity)

On August 20, 2025, Bonds-Jones, the Vice-President of Human Resources at MATC in an email shared by sources with HNNUSA, she confirmed that four Student Service Specialist staff positions at the Office of Multicultural Services have been eliminated to comply with the U.S. Department of Education guidelines "that prohibits positions with duties that provide services exclusively to students based on race or ethnicity. The four student service specialist roles in question were designed solely to serve students of a specific race/ethnic group. Because those roles could not be restructured to comply with the guidance, the duties themselves were eliminated, and the positions tied to them no longer exist." (Article link: http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2025/08/dr-cruz-and-matc-board-allegedly.html)

On February 24, 2026, the Multicultural Coalition to Reclaim MATC once again demanded for Dr. Cruz and the MATC Board of Trustees to restore the Multicultural Student Services, but to date, neither Dr. Cruz and the MATC Board of Trustees haven't publicly responded to the Coalition's demands, nor have they acted in good faith to restore transparency and accountability. (Article link: http://hispanicnewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2026/02/matc-board-of-trustees-continue-their.html)

Lastly, but not a conclusion yet, the Human Resources Office under Bonds-Jones has proliferated an ongoing hostile work environment for instructors and employees, blatant job discrimination and not promoting employees from part-time to full-time employees, harassment and retaliation tactics against employees and instructors that have filed complaints, eliminating positions to justify the termination of employees and the list goes on and on, which Dr. Cruz and the MATC Board of Trustees have failed to resolve. 

It's a shame that MATC continues to receive donations from scholarship programs like the Ellen and Joe Checota, which the scholarship will provide $15M to support students pursuing trade and technical certificates, despite MATC eliminating the Multicultural Student Services disenfranchising the following communities of color, Latino/Hispanic, African-American, Asian-American and Native-American including students. Major donors should do the right thing and hold MATC accountable before donating to MATC when its internal Human Resources Office operation continues to foster plaguing employees related issues affecting instructors, staff and students alike.

In other words, MATC in social media and its so-called propaganda advertising has attempted to created a superficial (fake) image of success, when in fact its internal operations is plague with human resource failures to address and resolve years of employee related complaints and the lack of credible reform by the MATC administration.

A "No Confidence" sentiment continues to grow against the MATC administration and Dr. Cruz for their ongoing failure to reform and remedy the issues at hand. 

The members of the MATC Board of Trustees are, Erica L. Case, Chairperson; Citlali Mendieta-Ramos, Vice-Chairperson; Dr. Waleed Najeeb, Secretary; Gail Pence, Treasurer; Lauren Baker; Mark F. Foley and Wisconsin State Representative Supreme Moore-Omokunde (D-Milw). (MATC Board of Directors | MATC https://share.google/JBtolZmTGaz4lo885)

33-year-old James Douglas McMillan From Greenfield, Wisconsin Shot Dead By Texas Law Enforcement After Pursuit On Highway I-10

A Wisconsin convicted felon fled from a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Texas in a stolen vehicle and was shot dead by Texas law enforcement.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 5, 2025

Sierra Blanca, Texas - The Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS) reported on X (formerly Twitter) that on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at around 10:30 a.m. CT, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Texas Highway Patrol Troopers and Aircraft Operations Division (AOD) pilots were called to assist in a high-speed pursuit involving a vehicle that fled a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) checkpoint along I-10 in Sierra Blanca. The preliminary investigation showed that the suspected driver was identified as James Douglas McMillan, 33, of Greenfield, Wisconsin (convicted felon in WI) who allegedly took off from the checkpoint after a USBP Drug K-9 alerted agents of alleged (drug or unidentified) contraband in the vehicle and agents directed McMillan to pull over for a secondary search. 

During the pursuit, McMillan – the only person in the vehicle – began shooting out the window at DPS Troopers, other responding law enforcement from the Culberson Co. Sheriff's Office, Hudspeth Co. Sheriff's Office, Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) and indiscriminately at civilian vehicles. As law enforcement returned fire, DPS Troopers performed a precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver and successfully stopped the suspect vehicle. McMillan barricaded himself in his vehicle and eventually pointed his weapon towards officers – officers then discharged their weapons. McMillan was then fatally shot by law enforcement. No law enforcement officers or civilians were injured.

The continued investigation shows the vehicle McMillan was driving was reported stolen out of Arizona. This is an active and ongoing investigation by the Texas Rangers, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and USBP. No additional information is available at this time.

While there is no further threat to the community, drivers were asked to avoid I-10 near Kent as a traffic highway road block created congestion, but traffic was eventually allowed to proceed, according to the TXDPS.

McMillan's criminal history in Wisconsin: On July 30, 2022, McMillan was convicted in Kenosha County, Wisconsin for one felony count of attempted armed robbery with threat of force.

On September 5, 2013, McMillan was convicted in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin on two felony counts for armed robbery with threat of force.

On October 17, 2012, McMillan pled no contest in Milwaukee County to possession of marijuana and paid a fine of $400, according to Milwaukee County court records in Wisconsin.

74-year-old Angel Luis Santiago Convicted Of Killing Aurora Weier, 45, In 1985 In Milwaukee Passed Away At The Oshkosh Correctional Institute

Santiago passed away due congestive heart failure, according to sources.

By H. Nelson Goodson 

Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

March 3, 2026

Oshkosh, Wisconsin - The Wisconsin Department of Corrections reported on its inmate website that Angel Luis Santiago, 74, who was serving a life term in prison for the November 4, 1985 homicide of Aurora Weier, 45, in Milwaukee has passed away at the Oshkosh Correctional Institute on November 11, 2025. Santiago died from congestive heart failure, according to sources.

Santiago was sentenced to life in prison with five years extended incarceration, in 2001, he eventually confessed to a reporter while being incarcerated at the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton, Minnesota that he as a sniper fatally shot Weier with a rifle from across the street as she was walking with her 7-year-old son into a Latino community center known as the Enrichment Center that was later renamed the Aurora Weier Educational Center, an alternative high school for Latino youths at N. Richards and W. Center Streets in Milwaukee.

Santiago, well known Puerto Rican community organizer who was then the Director of the United Youth Federation apparently became distraught that Weier was an emerging Latina leader and was successful in getting funding for the Enrichment Center. Santiago had experienced deficit funding issues in his organization.

Weier was originally from Panama who saw a need for Latinos to get educated in the Holton Latino and Puerto Rican neighborhood.