Two people were shot in Waterloo early yesterday morning. Police said one man was shot in the chest and a second man was shot in the leg; their identities were not made public. Each was taken to the hospital for treatment. The shooting happened just after 2 o’clock yesterday morning outside a house in the 100 block of Argyle St. Investigators collected multiple shell casings from the scene. No arrests have been made in the shooting. That was the second shooting in less than 48 hours for Waterloo police. On Friday afternoon, a man was found with a gunshot wound to the face in an alley behind the 900 block of West Fifth Street. The man’s injuries are not considered life threatening.
Fire destroyed a detached garage and spread to two nearby homes in Waterloo early yesterday morning. It happened around 1:45 yesterday morning in the 1600 block of Lark Lane. The garage was on fire, which spread to portions of two other houses, and melted siding on an attached garage at a third residence. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Two workers installing internet cables in Pella died after striking an underground, high-voltage electrical cable Saturday morning. Residents nearby reported hearing a loud boom at the time. A third worker for Excel Utility Contractors suffered minor injuries and was treated at a hospital. The crew was installing internet cables for Pella Fiber. 35-year-old Genisl Rueda and 20-year-old Nelson Figueroa, both from Richmond, Virginia, died. People who lived near where the electrical line was struck were evacuated for about an hour.
City departments in Cedar Rapids are being asked to cut 10 percent of their budgets to make up for COVID-19 related budget constraints. City directors are being asked to look at sources of revenue and put together a plan to reduce the budget by 10 percent for the first quarter of this fiscal year. The projected revenue is expected to be $3million less than originally forecast.
The Waterloo Police Department is taking your suggestions for a secondary patch to be worn by its officers. The current patch features a red griffin, a mythological animal with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion, symbolizing vigilance. It has been the sole patch worn by officers for nearly 60 years. In 1964, then-chief Robert Wright wanted a unique patch that would be symbolic of police work. Noted cartoonist Jack Bender was then on the staff of the Waterloo newspaper and created the design. So far, the department has posted eight proposed alternative patch on its Facebook page, seeking public opinion.
Independence police have charged Kari Jean Schwartz with sexual exploitation of a minor by a school employee. She was arrested Friday following a report made in January of this year that in the past, Schwartz established an inappropriate relationship with an Independence High School student. Sexual exploitation of a minor by a school employee is a Class D Felony and is punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
A 37-year-old Waterloo man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on gun charges. Alberto Quinto-Pascual shot Alejandro Franco at a Waterloo apartment last year; Franco later died from his injuries. Quinto-Pascual was not charged with murder but was sentenced Friday in federal court on gun charges, in a move that actually increased his sentence. Quinto-Pascual is a citizen of Mexico, and will likely be deported following his prison time. Prosecutors said the two men met at a bar and then went to a house, where Quinto-Pascual shot Franco. Quinto-Pascual told police Franco shot himself.
Five people were injured in a Fayette County collision Saturday morning. It happened just before 10 a.m. at the intersection of 60th Avenue and W Avenue in the southwest corner of the county. The Iowa State Patrol says 29-year-old Cierra Browning of Cedar Rapids failed to stop at the stop sign as she crossed 60th Avenue and was struck by a vehicle driven by 83-year-old David Vossberg of Shell Rock. Hurt in the crash were Browning, 61-year-old Sandra Vossberg of Shell Rock, 29-year-old Sara Woodley of Shell Rock, 48-year-old Melissa McInroy of Readlyn, and 28-year-old Ashlee Koch. Their conditions were not released.
The Washington Police Department is seeking assistance in identifying a suspect who may have stolen a car. Just before 12:30 early Sunday morning, an officer stopped a black 4-door vehicle with no plates. The officer was informed that the car was previously reported to Des Moines Police as stolen. When the officer tried to take the driver into custody, she drove off, dragging the officer for several blocks. The officer received minor injuries.
Sioux City police officers could be wearing body cameras by the end of the year. The city council will be asked today to approve spending $260,000 for 120 body cameras. The city’s mayor said he would be shocked if the proposal doesn’t pass unanimously. Sioux City has been considering them for several years but police officials said the financing was never available because of other city priorities. If approved, and following training, the body cameras could be in place yet in 2020.
A plea deal has been reached in a case that started with a woman being held at gunpoint and ended with a police chase. 27-year-old Tanner Breiner of Rockwell was arrested October 18th and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, eluding, and possession of marijuana. Mason City police say a woman reported her husband pointing a gun at her. Officers responded to the 700 block of South Van Buren Avenue and saw a vehicle leaving the scene and refusing to stop for law enforcement. The pursuit ended when the vehicle, driven by Breiner, developed a mechanical problem. Court records say he has entered a plea of guilty to a charge of eluding. His sentencing is set for September 16.
