Court postponed for Intermodal assault suspect; city, WisDOT address safety concerns at Milwaukee train station
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A preliminary hearing has been delayed for man charged with sexually assaulting a woman at the Milwaukee intermodal station last month.
Thirty-one-year-old Cephus Johnson was scheduled for the hearing Thursday, facing four sexual assault charges, but according to the commissioner, Johnson refused to appear, and couldn't be produced from the jail.
Court records show an attorney requested a competency exam for Johnson after his arrest last month. The doctor's report was returned to the court on May 19, deeming him competent to continue with proceedings.
The prelim is rescheduled for June 11 at 8:30 a.m.
According to the criminal complaint for the case, around 6:00 a.m. on April 9, a woman went to use the bathroom at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, when Johnson climbed over the stall and assaulted her.
When security guards heard the woman's screams, they found Johnson in the act, and one guard fired a gun at him.
The complaint said Johnson allegedly attempted to assault another woman the day before on Wisconsin avenue, not far from the Intermodal Station.
When Johnson was arrested, he told detectives he would "kill women" if released.
This week, the City of Milwaukee's Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault released a statement with suggested safety modifications for the Milwaukee intermodal Station.
"There were several members that were pretty much outraged by the incident occurring at this public place that is utilized by so many people," said Alderwoman Larresa Taylor, who chairs the commission.
Some of their recommendations include adding more trained security officers, increasing lighting and cameras, and adding signage about security monitoring, among several other ideas.
"If those things are there, enhance them, enhance them more, so that there is no question that this space is under surveillance - this very public space, where travelers are coming and going - that they feel secure," Taylor explained.
Taylor made it clear that the City of Milwaukee has no control over security at the Intermodal Station, as the building is owned by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
In a statement to CBS 58, WisDOT said it is "extremely concerned" about the safety and security of the building, including for their staff who work inside.
While it owns the station, WisDOT said it does not control the operations, due to a contractual agreement with a group called Milwaukee Intermodal Partners.
State records list Milwaukee Intermodal Partners under a foreign LLC, based in California.
According to WisDOT, that group hires a private company called Titan Security for its patrols at the Intermodal Station, and Wisconsin State Patrol has no role in security at the building.
With Milwaukee Intermodal Partners' approval, WisDOT claims to have spent hundreds-of-thousands of dollars of state funding on security upgrades to the station since 2022, but stressed there are still safety concerns that should be addressed.
CBS 58 has contacted a representative with Milwaukee Intermodal Partners LLC via email, but has not received a response.
See WisDOT's full statement below:
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation owns Milwaukee Intermodal Station. Under a contractual lease agreement with Milwaukee Intermodal Partners, negotiated many years ago, Milwaukee Intermodal Partners is responsible for and has authority over all day-to-day operations at the building, including security. Any changes to the building need to be made in partnership with Milwaukee Intermodal Partners per the lease agreement. The lease agreement restricts our department from taking control of building operations without buying out the lease and paying millions of dollars, or breaking the lease, owing millions of dollars, and facing costly legal action.
We are extremely concerned about the safety and security of the building and the surrounding area, including the number of police calls. We have staff actively working in the building and we are also concerned about their safety. What happened on April 9, 2026, is a tragedy and is something that should never happen. We are doing all we can under the existing lease agreement to prevent something like that from happening again.
Since April 9, our risk and safety team has visited the building. The team has assembled a list of issues and questions regarding security conditions and protocol at the building. We are now attempting to work collaboratively with Milwaukee Intermodal Partners to address those issues and questions.
Additionally, in recent years, due to security concerns for our staff and in the general interest of public safety, we have gone above and beyond the lease agreement to use state funding to upgrade security at the building, in partnership with Milwaukee Intermodal Partners.
Security upgrades funded by WisDOT include:
Starting in June 2022, paying $12,000 per month to increase the number of security guards at the facility
In 2022 and 2023, paying $53,000 to upgrade exterior lighting in the parking lot areas to improve visibility
In 2023, paying $130,000 as part of a cost-sharing agreement with the parking lot contractor to increase onsite security in the paid parking lot
In 2024, paying $297,000 to build a fence around the paid parking lot and the west employee parking lot to improve security
We continue to have safety concerns in and around Milwaukee Intermodal Station and we are committed to doing what is within our power under the existing legal agreement to improve security at the facility.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
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