'Makes you nervous': Menomonee Falls man arrested at park across from middle school for breaking court order

’Makes you nervous’: Menomonee Falls man arrested at park across from middle school for breaking court order
NEXT:

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. (CBS 58)-- A Menomonee Falls man was arrested Friday morning, Oct. 22, for violating a court order.

The court order prohibits Matthew Mayer from being within a quarter mile of Wisconsin On Tap and A.J. O'Brady's in Menomonee Falls.

Mayer was sitting in a gray van at Village Park across the street from North Middle School. He drove through the restricted limits to get to the park, according to police.

A CBS 58 crew was on scene when Mayer was arrested and when his van was towed.

Bruce Russell, the owner of Wisconsin On Tap and A.J. O'Brady's, said he first requested a restraining order after Mayer delivered letters to his restaurant saying he had been watching an employee who was just 14 at the time.

"My staff has been on edge. I've been on edge about it," Russell said. "We're hoping that he just kind of goes away."

The restraining order prohibited Mayer from coming within 1,000 feet of the establishments. Mayer violated the restraining order days ago by getting into an altercation with a customer. Russell said he asked the court to increase the limits to a quarter mile.

"He's just not letting go of it," Russell said. "He was doing that to my employee who was 14. You know, I've got a 14-year-old daughter. It makes you nervous."

The new limit includes North Middle School, but not the park across the street where Mayer was arrested. Parents said he's been parking his van there almost every day for the last three weeks.

"He's watching our kids during recess, and he's watching our kids during gym, and he's parked every single day after school watching kids get on the bus," Laurie Vande Zande, a North Middle School parent said. "It just did not sit well with me."

Menomonee Falls police said Mayer is not violating any laws.

The North Middle School principal sent a letter home to parents confirming school staff is aware of the van. He said police have increased patrols in the area.

"We have nothing but respect for the police and the school, but again, their hands are tied," Vande Zande said. "We, as a village, decided we are going to step up, band together and keep our eyes and ears open."

The letter sent home encourages parents to talk to their kids about being aware of their surroundings and what to do if they sense danger.

Share this article: