Milwaukee man charged, accused of violently attacking 99-year-old woman inside her home
Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office
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Court records show 23-year-old Joseph Macias is charged with battery to an elder person, first degree reckless injury, and burglary of a building or dwelling.
Police responded to the woman's home near 13th and Layton around 8 a.m. after the victim called 911 herself.
According to the criminal complaint, the first responding officer entered the home and found Macias laying on the floor in the living room. When the officer asked to see the suspect's hands, Macias reportedly said, "What the [expletive] are you acting stupid for?" and told the officer the elderly woman in another room was his grandma.
The complaint says the victim was located in another room covered in blood, with her eyes swollen and bruised shut, and her mouth so swollen she had trouble speaking. The victim had lacerations and bruising on her arms, and items from the home were broken on the floor.
Investigators spoke with the victim, who the complaint says stated she woke up to a loud banging on her door. When she opened it, she said a man she didn't know came in and forced her to the floor, kicking her. She told authorities the attacker was swearing and pushing her, and at one point laid on the couch for a few minutes, then got up and started throwing things.
The complaint says the victim was taken to an area hospital with broken bones in her jaw, and multiple other injuries to her face, head, torso, arms and legs.
In an interview with investigators, Macias reportedly said he didn't remember what he'd done and wrote an apology letter to the victim for harming her. Prosecutors say he admitted to authorities he was drinking heavily at a bar before going to the woman's home. Officers spoke with a family member of Macias who told them he was at the bar with him that night. The family member said after leaving the bar, they went back to his girlfriend's house where Macias continued drinking. He told police when he woke up, Macias was gone.
Investigators noted nothing appeared to be stolen from the victim's home, indicating the purpose of entry was not theft. Prosecutors allege Macias began beating the victim immediately upon her door being opened and that there were "no additional reasons" for the suspect to be at the residence.
Video recovered from the area shows a person in the driveway of the victim's home around 4:45 a.m., according to the complaint, shortly before the first 911 call was made by a LifeAlert system at 5:16 a.m.
Officials are currently investigating why emergency responders were not sent to help her for hours despite multiple 911 calls from the third-party medical alert company. Two Milwaukee emergency dispatchers have been placed on paid administrative leave.
Macias was due in court for an initial appearance Friday morning, July 31.
