The alleged assailant, Aaron Thompson III came out on social media accompanied by a member of the Wisconsin Brown Berets making an apology and offering to give Ricardo, the Mexican popsicle street vendor $100, after a $500 reward was offered leading to the identity of the Black individual that took the paletero’s cart without permission and tipped it over, while running away and laughing about it. A posted Facebook video of the incident at Mitchell Park went viral and Thompson III was quickly identified. (Video link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/DJu487NnzC7twPnp/)
By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.
May 7, 2024
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – On Monday, the Black suspect who allegedly took a Paletería Yayo Mexican popsicle cart without permission and then tipped it as he fled running and laughing at Mitchell Park was identified as Aaron Thompson III, soon after a $500 reward was offered by Rafael Hernández and Adriana Bungee Hernández for information leading to his identity.
Thompson III on Monday in a posted Facebook (FB) video by Walter Garron who identified himself as a Wisconsin Brown Beret introduced Thompson III, who then confessed that he took the paletero cart, tipped it and ran from the scene laughing, which the Sunday incident was video recorded at Mitchell Park and went viral once the video clip was posted on FB. (Facebook video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/P7HZAKrLYS9zEWmF/)
The viral video of the incident created outrage in the Southside of Milwaukee and a majority of FB users in social media continue to demand “Justice for Ricardo”, the Paletería Yayo, LLC street cart vendor who was victimized at Mitchell Park.
So far, the usual wannabe Latino leaders (who only pose for mainstream media cameras on occasion) haven’t organized a public hearing inviting police and the diverse Southside community and those effected to condemned all the chaotic Cinco de Mayo 2024 flag waving parading and cruising celebrations, reported shooting incident at W. Historic Michell St. and S. César E. Chávez Drive, including a Milwaukee police officer getting shot in the upper leg at S. Chávez Drive over the weekend in the Southside.
In Garron’s FB video, Thompson III apologized for what he did and explained that he did it as joking around and stated that he was going to give Ricardo $100 and buy additional Mexican popsicles to be given away at a planned Mitchell Park cleanup gathering in the parking lot on Saturday at 10:00 a.m., which is being organized by Garron. Thompson III is expected to be at Mitchell Park on Saturday to help with the Mitchell Park cleanup.
A FB post dated April 30th by Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez and neighborhood volunteers are planning a Mitchell Park cleanup on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. behind the Mitchell Park Domes located in the Southside of Milwaukee.
Garron says that, if his planned cleanup at Mitchell Park goes beyond noon on Saturday, as a goodwill and community unity gesture, his group will gladly join Supervisor Martinez’s cleanup group.
Supervisor Martinez released the following statement on Monday after Sunday’s incident involving Thompson III and the Yayo paletero Ricardo, “It is extremely disappointing to see individuals causing disruptions at events meant to uplift our community. I am working to ensure that we make Cinco de Mayo a Countysponsored event in the future with proper security, not just police officers standing at entrances and exits, failing to address the altercations actually going on. Together, as a community, we can mitigate these situations by using the parks as a tool to stop these appalling incidents in the future.”
A second FB video posted by Garron who is working to unite both the Black and Latino Communities including defusing the current tensions and situation shows Thompson III at the Paletería Yayo location at the 1700 block of W. Lincoln Ave. showing Garron, Thompson III, Rene Adan, the owner of Paletería Yayo, LLC and Ricardo, the paletero victim of Thompson’s aggression on Sunday. (Facebook video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/DRadvoM2bE72mM5T/)
Adan, the owner of Paletería Yayo also posted a FB video saying that when Ricardo came out on Garron’s FB video with Thompson III, Ricardo was allegedly intoxicated and made some out of place comments. Adan also stated that he wasn’t aware of what happened at Mitchell Park and Thompson III’s aggression against Ricardo, and that Recardo had started drinking after the incident on Sunday. Adan vowed to meet with police and the local alderman to seek justice for Ricardo and to address continued assaults and robberies targeted at paleteros. Once Ricardo can explain to Adan what actually occurred at Mitchell Park, Adan will then decide, if he will seek criminal charges against Thompson III on behalf of Paletería Yayo and Ricardo. Adan says that his employees (paleteros) have been robbed and assaulted on a daily basis, but on Sunday, an aggressive assault committed by Thompson III against Ricardo was video recorded and it went viral. (Facebook video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/2amTiTYLdnrfBSDp/)
Garron told Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA) when contacted Monday that Thompson III had contacted him to make an apology to the Southside community and to Ricardo, after Garron first posted Thompson’s FB profile sent to him by several FB users who identified him. When Garron was asked, if he noticed before the interview at the Paletería Yayo business that Ricardo was showing signs of being intoxicated, Garron replied “Yes”.
In addition, FB users that were at Mitchell Park on Sunday alleged that several black individuals in a Infinity vehicle stole from Rricardo and that one had been taken into custody. HNNUSA hasn’t been able to confirm the incident.
Also, another viral video at Mitchell Park showed two Black individuals being taken into custody. A Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputy pulled a AR-15 style loaded pistol from the individual’s waistband. Another deputy is seen unloading the weapon.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t reported any information about their arrests. No weapons are allowed in Milwaukee County Parks.
Source: Hispanic News Network U.S.A. (HNNUSA)
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