James McDonald's Wild Ride: Wauwatosa BMO Harris Bank Robber was in Panic from Here to Chicago

WAUWATOSA, WI — You may already have learned that Wauwatosa police arrested James W. McDonald in connection with the Wauwatosa BMO Harris bank robbery that occurred on Jan. 27.

What you might not know are the events leading up to his arrest.

Learn more about McDonald's wild day after the robbery, that included his girlfriend's impending jail release, owed money, a panicked bank robbery, flight to Chicago, passing out in a bathroom, running from Chicago firefighters and fleeing back to Milwaukee - only to have his girlfriend turn him in after seeing him on the news.

"Freaked Out"

According to a criminal complaint filed in Milwaukee County, McDonald woke up on the morning of Jan. 27, "freaked out" because his girlfriend was getting out of custody, and he owed her money.

The complaint stated he had been selling things around the house to drug dealers for his heroin habit, which he told police was up to 5-6 times a day. He started driving around in her black Cavalier, and he was going through withdrawals and panicked, when he decided to rob the bank.

The Robbery

Just after 4 p.m. on Jan. 27, Wauwatosa Police Department squads were dispatched to a bank robbery at the BMO Harris Bank, located at 9210 West North Ave.

A bank teller told police she had just got back from break and returned to her teller window when she observed a white male, wearing a gray peacoat, with the hood up, who walked into the bank and towards her teller station.

It was McDonald, and he was there to rob the bank, police said.

According to his criminal complaint, he “slammed” down a note on the counter in front of the bank teller which said words to the effect “This is a robbery. Put it all on the table.” The teller retrieved her keys to the cash drawer, and as she was unlocking it the suspect said softly, “Hurry up.”

The criminal complaint states that as the teller removed the currency from the top drawer and put it on the counter, McDonald grabbed the money and note from the counter and ran out of the bank. The teller activated the silent alarm and notified another employee she had been robbed.

The Flight

In a police interview reported in his criminal complaint, McDonald stated he got about $1,000, drove downtown, ripped up the note, parked the car near the Greyhound Bus Station, and bought a bus ticket to Chicago.

McDonald told police that when he got to Chicago, he was in the station and fell asleep on the toilet and "probably used some heroin", which he does 5-6 times per day, police reported.

The criminal complaint stated that he awoke and ran from the Chicago Fire Department personnel who were treating him, and ran through downtown in a panic, leaving behind the $90 of the money he had left from the bank robbery and his car keys.

He took a bus back to Milwaukee, slept in a stairwell, and walked back to his girlfriend's house, police noted.

"How Could You be So Stupid"

According to his criminal complaint, when McDonald's girlfriend found out about his bank robbery after seeing him on the news, and asked "how he could be so stupid." He told her he sold some of her things and needed to pay her back.

After the robbery, a citizen identified McDonald as the bank robber from a Facebook post published online. He also stated that McDonald had a girlfriend.

According to police, they made contact with McDonald's girlfriend on Jan. 31. Police made contact with her, and she identified McDonald as the suspect in the bank robbery, and gave consent for her residence to be searched for McDonald or any evidence of the robbery. She accompanied them to her residence, and upon opening the door, McDonald was found at the residence and arrested.

>>> image via Wauwatosa police