Domestic violence call prompts hazardous materials response in Milwaukee park after discovery of suspicious substances
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Tedd Nardelli didn't expect to see flashing lights and fire trucks when he and his wife were about to set off on their regular walk at Maitland Park in Milwaukee Tuesday morning, Nov. 19.
"We were planning on coming through today like we do every day," Nardelli told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White. “I saw this when I was coming home and I said, uh oh, and then I started seeing more county sheriffs in the park and I said, oh boy.”
What Nardelli saw was a response from several local fire agencies, including the Milwaukee Fire Department, Oak Creek Fire and Rescue, and the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, after a domestic violence call came through shortly after 7 a.m.
When officials arrived at the scene near S. 13th and Ramsey, they discovered "several organized containers of what appeared to be different types of acids" in a heavily wooded area off the trail path.
According to a press release, the 52-year-old victim told deputies that his domestic partner "choked and attempted to strangle him at a campsite nearby" before informing them the suspect "used the chemicals to melt or strip precious metals -- for resale -- from personal computer parts."
However, the discovery of the acids prompted a hazardous material response, where first responders donned head-to-toe protective gear to carry the containers out of the woods in buckets before being placed in official vehicles to be disposed of later.
“Scary, very scary because we walk through every day one way or another," Nardelli said, adding that he's seen an uptick of suspicious behavior in the area over the last few months. “As we walk through the park, I carry a long stick with a stainless-steel rod on the end for picking up garbage most of the time, but last few months it’s been probably as much for protection as for just cleaning up the garbage we see on the sidewalk and in the park.”
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, who is taking over the investigation, confirmed all of the acids were "legally available household chemicals."
They are now searching for the 39-year-old male suspect who is currently on parole for armed robbery and who was already wanted for an active warrant for parole violation.
