FRANKLIN, Wis. — A Milwaukee teen involved in a police chase over the weekend was found dead in a Franklin quarry on Wednesday.
On Saturday, July 15, an officer with the Oak Creek Police Department attempted to stop a driver for speeding near Pennsylvania and Drexel around 2 a.m. At that time, one of the passengers fled on foot and then the driver fled westbound on Drexel.
Police pursued the driver with speeds reaching 102 mph. The pursuit eventually reached the City of Franklin. The suspect driver struck a tire deflation device near 51st and Drexel. The pursuit continued until the driver stopped in the 7700 block of South 51st Street.
The two remaining 18-year-old male occupants were taken into custody by the Oak Creek Police Department. They were transported to the Milwaukee County Jail Facility on felony charges.
A Franklin police officer briefly chased the driver on foot after he fled the vehicle and trespassed onto the property of a quarry in the area, police say. The chase was called off due to "dangerous terrain." Officers attempted to search the area but did not find the driver.
On the evening of July 15, the Oak Creek Police Department was contacted by a family member who believed their 17-year-old son was involved because he didn't return home. Police say the family also said they were not in contact with him "which was unusual." The family reported him missing to the Milwaukee Police Department.
Police say the Franklin Police Department was notified since he was last seen on the quarry property. Police attempted to locate him through friends and family, but were unsuccessful.
On Wednesday, July 19, the Franklin Police Department found the driver dead inside the quarry area around 4:30 p.m. An autopsy was performed on Thursday and the 17-year-old was identified as Israel Islas-Mendez.
The teen's Milwaukee mother now wants answers after her son fell 225 feet to his death. Lucia Mendez believes Oak Creek and Franklin police did not take finding her son seriously enough.
She says she went door to door herself with flyers to find her son.
“I print pictures of my baby, I went all around," Lucia said. "I went every single day, got groups of people with me. We split and went different ways to look for my baby and he not there.”
We reached out to Oak Creek, Franklin, and Milwaukee police to learn what they did to search for the teen during the four days he was reported missing. None would comment on the case but in a statement Thursday morning, police said all three departments worked together to conduct a thorough follow-up with friends and family to locate the teen but were unsuccessful.
The Franklin Police Department is leading the death investigation.
According to police, officers are yet to locate the initial passenger that fled on foot before the pursuit began in Oak Creek.
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