MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCRG) – Marshalltown Police are searching for two men from Des Moines in connection to a burglary at Hellberg’s Jewelers. Arrest warrants were filed Wednesday for 53-year-old Douglas Baker and 59-year-old Dewayne Rowley. The break-in happened around 4 a.m. on April 4. Officers arrived to find multiple glass display cases shattered on the floor. When the owners arrived, they identified multiple pieces of high-value jewelry that was stolen. Investigators reviewed video footage showing two masked individuals smashing in the store’s entrances. Investigators were able to identify the getaway truck and connect it to earlier footage when the two had previously been to the store. The footage also showed that Baker provided ID to a cashier at the store on March 26. Des Moines Police seized the truck on April 5, and located an SUV tied to the suspects on April 9. Baker was driving the SUV and was arrested for driving while barred, but has since been released. Authorities filed search warrants for both vehicles. A Marshalltown detective shared that Baker has an extensive criminal record of burglaries and thefts dating back to 1987.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI/KCRG) – An Iowa man already serving life in prison for the murder of 10-year-old Breasia Terrell is now facing a new sexual abuse charge tied to a 2003 cold case involving a five-year-old girl. According to court documents, Henry Dinkins is charged with second-degree sexual abuse for the 2003 kidnapping and abuse of a five-year-old girl in Clinton. Police say the girl was found hours later near the side of the road near Grand Mound. The case went unsolved for more than 20 years. Investigators say the victim reached out to them in 2023 to identify Dinkins as her abuser. Breasia Terrell disappeared in Davenport in 2020. Her body was found months later in Clinton County. In 2021, Dinkins was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in her death. Prosecutors say Dinkins, a registered sex offender, sexually assaulted Breasia and shot her because he thought she would tell someone. A judge sentenced Dinkins to life in prison without parole in 2023. Court documents show Dinkins’ criminal history dates to 1990, when he was 17. He was convicted of second-degree sexual abuse of a five-year-old girl that year.
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI/KCRG) – A Des Moines man is charged with possession of methamphetamine after crashing into a north-side home early Wednesday morning. 34-year-old Joshua Courtney is charged with possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine, failure to provide proof of insurance, failure to maintain control, and driving on a revoked license. Officers responded to a report of a crash just before 2 a.m. at 24th Street and Bennett Avenue, just west of Broadlawns Medical Center. According to officers, Courtney was potentially impaired at the time of the crash and suffered minor injuries. Court documents show he was found with a crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine. No one in the residence was hurt. The homeowners’ son says the family is receiving assistance from the Red Cross.
JOHSNON COUNTY, Iowa (KCRG) – The future of a proposed $14 million competition swimming pool in Coralville is uncertain as the Iowa City Community School District considers pausing its broader facilities plan amid financial challenges. The pool is part of a larger recreation center project led by the City of Coralville. City leaders say they are continuing to move forward with planning, but the project depends in part on funding from the school district — which has not yet committed. Coralville and the district have been working together on the project, but now city officials say they are waiting for a clear answer on whether the district can still contribute. Both sides have discussed a timeline to make that decision by the end of June. The uncertainty comes as the district faces ongoing financial strain. Officials have transferred money to cover payroll and are considering taking out another loan to maintain operations. Those challenges are now forcing difficult decisions about which projects can move forward.
