MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — Officials in Marshalltown say a 71-year-old man died in a house fire over the weekend. The Times-Republican reports that firefighters were called for the house fire around 5 a.m. Sunday. Arriving firefighters and police officers found smoke and flames coming from the house and say neighbors reported hearing knocking and screams coming from inside the home. Flames kept anyone from being able to immediately enter. Firefighters knocked down the flames after taking out a window, but by the times crews were able to enter the home, the man was found dead. His name has not been released.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police in Cedar Rapids are investigating what they say was an attempt to snatch a 2-year-old child from a sidewalk. Police say in a news release that the incident happened Sunday afternoon, when officers responded to a possible child abduction attempt near Huntington Park in north-central Cedar Rapids. Arriving officers learned that a man wearing a hooded shirt and mask tried to grab the 2-year-old from the sidewalk, but was thwarted by a nearby family member of the child. Police say the person saw the man get into a white car and drive off.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — One person was killed and another person seriously injured when a vehicle crashed into a tree shortly after a Des Moines police officer attempted to stop the vehicle. The crash happened around 3:30 a.m. Saturday. The woman in the driver’s seat died in the crash, and a female passenger was taken to a hospital with serious injuries. Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek said shortly before the crash, an officer observed the vehicle speeding and tried to stop it. The officer broke off the pursuit before the vehicle crashed.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are still searching for a gunman or gunmen who opened fire at a hotel party, injuring six people. The shooting happened just before 10:30 p.m. Friday at the Ramada by Wyndham Cedar Rapids Hotel. Police said on Facebook that several dozen people were at a birthday party in a conference room when a disturbance broke out among some attendees, and several shots were fired. One victim is hospitalized with serious injuries. Police say the other victims have injuries that are not life-threatening. Police Chief Wayne Jerman called the shooting “senseless and inexcusable.”
