Man Charged with Trying to Break Into Coin Boxes in Shorewood Apartment Complex

A 53-year-old Milwaukee man is facing charges after he allegedly broke into a Shorewood apartment complex and tried to pry his way into coin boxes in the building’s laundry room.

Edward Andrew Hay was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Wednesday with one count of burglary. If convicted, he faces up to 12 ½ years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

According to the criminal complaint:

On July 18, a man was in the laundry room of an apartment complex in the 1700 block of East Newton Avenue when he spotted Hay wearing black gloves and walking out of the area. The man never saw Hay before and thought he was suspicious, so he followed him and found a lock on a basement door had been damaged.

Another tenant saw Hay loitering in the lobby, then spotted him opening the basement door. After noticing pry marks on the door, the resident called 911.

Hay left the building, got onto a bicycle and began to ride away southbound from the complex, but the resident followed him until officers arrived.

Hay was carrying an industrial box cutter, black socks, black gloves, an 11-inch flathead screwdriver and a tire iron. Officers discovered pry marks on the coin boxes in the laundry rooms and discovered the machines were no longer working properly.

The building’s owners said it was the fourth time in a month someone had broken in.

Hay is currently being held in Milwaukee County Jail while awaiting trial.