Milwaukee Man Under Fire for Multiple Thefts at Walgreens
A Milwaukee man has been accused of swiping items from the same Walgreens store three times during a week’s span. The items were mostly cleaning and sanitary items, like soaps, toilet paper, razors, lotions, and other household goods.
John Dzwonkowski, 38, now faces two counts of felony retail theft, according to police records and Fox 6.
Details of the Allegations
A criminal complaint indicates that Milwaukee police were first contacted on September 18 at a store on Howell Avenue. The essence of theft lingers in the aisles of places people often take for granted, like the local Walgreens.
On that fateful September morning, around 7:40 a.m., an alert store manager described a “thief” who had entered the store. He began to fill a backpack with items—a modern-day scavenger hunt, but not for sport. Soaps, cosmetics, and toilet paper disappeared into the bag, and the defendant quietly exited the premises, leaving behind an estimated $178 in stolen goods.
A Repeating Pattern
Just two days later, the same desperate act unfolded. Officers returned to the Walgreens after another report of theft. This time, stealing took on a broader spectrum as Dzwonkowski filled two bags with razors, lotions, and cosmetics. The retail value of this haul astonished those who calculated the loss: a striking $435.
Then, on September 25, a surveillance camera captured Dzwonkowski taking a staggering 107 items, filling them into a black garbage bag. The weight of a crime can be heavy, yet here he was, nonchalantly accumulating $889.63 worth of cleaning and household goods. Most bizarrely, he left the store, only to return for a 20 oz. soda, fostering an almost surreal image of someone so dismissive of the law.
Reflection on Retail Theft
The cycle of theft raises questions that extend beyond mere statistics. What leads a person to repeatedly commit such acts in a familiar place? The initial thought might be one of condemnation, but as one reflects, there’s an unnerving complexity to the story. Perhaps there’s a greater narrative of struggle hidden behind the headlines—challenges that compel individuals toward such choices.
Court records indicate Dzwonkowski was scheduled for his initial appearance this week. Each appearance in a courtroom represents yet another chapter in a continuous cycle, inviting introspection on morality and consequence within the community. With local businesses, like Walgreens, often serving as everyday fixtures, the ripple effect of this crime extends to employees and customers alike, eroding trust in places designed for convenience and safety. What once was a simple trip to a store may now carry an unwarranted weight of suspicion—an unintended consequence for all involved.
