SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A Milwaukee man is now charged in the death of a Pizza Hut employee in South Milwaukee.
Investigators say 31-year-old Kavonn Ingram killed his 55-year-old co-worker Alex Stengel. They say evidence shows he did it inside the store and used a garbage bin to move Stengel's body from the business to the dumpster area.
A garbage collector alerted police to Stengel's body on Wednesday and they announced Ingram's on Sunday.
"I know there is crime everywhere, but they're very rare over here," said Yvie James, who works as a waitress at the cafe across the street from Pizza Hut. "What if it was one of our customers? It's just real scary to know that stuff is happening directly across the street."
When Stengel's body was first found, Steve Edemczyk said he was concerned about safety.
"Mine, my grandson's, he lives with me. And, you know, my neighbors too," he said.
The District Attorney charged 31-year-old Kavonn Ingram, also an employee at Pizza Hut, with first-degree reckless homicide. He's also charged with hiding a corpse, armed robbery, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
"That's good. They found something that they could work with, they followed up, they did what they had to do and they go the guy. That's good," said Edemcyzyk.
The criminal complaint details how authorities traced Ingram's cell phone and movements using surveillance video to tie him back to the scene of the crime. And, after interviews, investigators believe Ingram targeted the victim because Stengel had been talking about a $7,000 inheritance check he recently cashed.
"Economy, living conditions, everything. People are getting desperate," said Edemcyzyk.
"I'm sorry that happened to him," said James.
Investigators say after the murder, Ingram tried to cover up the crime by acting as Stengel and using Stengel's phone to text the store's manager saying he felt sick and needed to leave for the day. Investigators believe Stengel was dead and in the garbage bin the entire time.
Also according to the criminal complaint, investigators found a loaded gun and a check from Pizza Hut made out to Ingram inside the same backpack at his home, which also appeared to have bloodstains throughout while executing a search warrant.
Ingram made his initial court appearance Friday where a judge set a $200,000 cash bond and ordered Ingram to have no contact with people who work at the Pizza Hut where the crime occurred.
Ingram is due back in court on Feb. 23rd.
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