Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center says it has heightened security across its hospital campus in response to the robbery and carjacking of a 75-year-old in one of its parking garages this week.
The 75-year-old reported being assaulted and robbed of their car keys about 5:40 a.m. Tuesday in the parking garage on West Dakota Street, just north of the St. Luke's hospital complex, according the Milwaukee Police Department. The suspect then drove off in the victim's vehicle.
"In response to the recent incident, we have increased the presence of public safety officers across our campus," said a statement from St. Luke's provided by Cheri Mantz, manager of public affairs operations for Aurora Health Care. "We are committed to continuously improving the safety and security of our campus based on feedback from our teammates."
A 15-year-old has been charged with armed robbery, carjacking and physical abuse of an elder person in Milwaukee County Children's Court in connection to the incident, according to Children's Court officials. The teen was arrested Wednesday, following a chase by the Glendale Police Department that ended in Milwaukee's south side, Milwaukee police said. The teen is now being held in secure detention.
The Journal Sentinel is not identifying the accused teen because of their age.
The statement from St. Luke's says its campus is monitored by security cameras and that blue light emergency phones are "on every floor and in multiple locations in all parking structures." A follow-up email from Mantz said public safety officers monitor the cameras, though she did not say how frequently. In response to a question about whether security officers are stationed inside hospital parking garages, Mantz said officers conduct "a foot and mobile patrol that includes parking structures."
A 2020 investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel found that even as health systems take in billions in revenue, hospitals across the country have frequently allowed parking garages to go unstaffed, cameras unmonitored and nurses and other health care workers to fend for themselves.
St. Luke's hospital is part of Advocate Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country, taking in $31.7 billion in total revenue last year . Headquartered in North Carolina, Advocate Health formed following the multi-state merger of Advocate Aurora Health and North Carolina-based Atrium Health in late 2022.
Contact Sarah Volpenhein at svolpenhei@gannett.com or 414-607-2159. Follow her on X at @SarahVolp.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aurora St. Luke's boosts security after robbery, carjacking of 75-year-old in parking garage
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