MILWAUKEE — A body of a teen was found in a towed stolen vehicle in Milwaukee on Monday, according to police.
The teen's family has identified him as 17-year-old James Stokes.
According to the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), officers responded to a call for service at the tow lot located at 3811 W. Lincoln Ave. shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday. Upon arrival, officers found a body on the floor of the rear portion of a severely accident-damaged SUV.
The body found in the vehicle is believed to be a 17-year-old boy, according to police. The cause of his death is yet to be determined.
The car was towed to the lot on Thursday, June 1. On that day, around 6 p.m., officers responded to a crash near 91st and Fond du Lac. When police arrived, they found a severely damaged SUV that hit a tree. The vehicle was determined to be stolen.
The driver of the crashed stolen vehicle, a 16-year-old boy, was transported to a local hospital and then arrested, according to police. Police said they then arranged for the damaged stolen vehicle to be towed.
MPD and Milwaukee DPW are investigating how the teen's body was not immediately discovered. This is the second time in the last two years a body was left inside a wrecked car and taken to a tow lot.
Stokes' mother, Kina King, said police told her they believed her son had fled the scene of the crash.
"But that was false. False, false, false, false," said King.
For days, King said, her family posted fliers and created posts on social media saying Stokes was missing.
It wasn't until Monday that police announced a body had been discovered in the stolen car in the tow lot.
"So, my son is decomposed because you failed to look in the car and see another person was in the car? You just had the car towed to the Milwaukee tow lot?" said King.
King said she'll meet at the Medical Examiner's office on Tuesday to view the body. She also said she hopes to learn how Stokes died.
Milwaukee Police said they're not able to provide updates on the discovery of the body at this time as the "incident is under investigation, which includes an internal review."
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