Compiled by Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com
On the clock
Des Moines Police Sept. 8
Sept. 13, 4:22 a.m.
Burglary in the 3700 block of East 14th Street. Officers were dispatched to Rent-A-Center, 3701 E. 14th St., on a silent alarm call. Officers observed damage to the businesses front door. Upon closer inspection, officers determined the window of the front door had been broken with a large rock, which was inside the building. The manager arrived and stated that three laptop computers, valued at more than $4,000, were missing. There are no video cameras in the business, but the manager stated that it appeared nothing else was missing. There are no suspect(s) or witnesses at this time.
Sept. 14, 1 p.m.
Robbery in the 3900 block of East 14th Street. The victim reported that an unknown Hispanic male, wearing black jeans, a white shirt and a dark ball cap, pushed her into her car from behind as she was taking her infant daughter out of the car seat. During the scuffle, the suspect grabbed the victim’s purse. The suspect ran to a blue SUV styled vehicle, which was waiting for him, and fled the scene. There are no witnesses at this time.
Sept. 14, 8:48 p.m.
Burglary in the 2900 block of East 14th Street. The victim stated that her boyfriend had stopped over and broke her door and took her vehicle. The victim stated she was in the basement when she heard the door. When she got upstairs, her boyfriend waved at her, got into her Cadillac and drove away. The victim stated she had called police earlier after her boyfriend assaulted her. She told officers they didn’t live together and they just started dating a few weeks ago. She also told officers she had just gotten the car and did not give the suspect the permission to drive it. There are no witnesses at this time.
Busted
Name: Todd Allen Linhart
The story: Officers spoke with the victim, who stated he thought he was helping out the suspect, later identified as Linhart, by giving him a place to stay. Linhart had only been staying with the victim for a week. The victim stated he was watching TV when Linhart kicked in the door. The victim stated Linhart was drunk and started yelling at him in a threatening manner. Linhart then punched the victim in the face and fled the scene. The victim had red marks on his face, scratches on his chin and blood on his chest. Linhart was found later walking down the middle of the street in a nearby neighborhood with alcohol in his posession. Linhart had watery eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol coming off him. Linhart admitted to officers he was intoxicated stating, “I’m hammered.” Linhart was charged with assault causing injury, criminal mischief and public intoxication.
Docket diving
The following is from a recent ruling made by the Iowa Court of Appeals regarding the case of the State of Iowa vs. Randy Scott Meyers.
“Randy Meyers moved in with Patricia in 1994, and later that year was arrested and pleaded guilty to one count of lascivious acts with a child, M.R., then age six, the daughter of Patricia. After serving his sentence, Meyers was released and he and Patricia again began cohabitating. They married in 2002. During their time together, Meyers and Patricia began using crack cocaine, and even introduced it to M.R. when she was 16 years old. In 2004, after considerable violence and family dysfunction, Patricia obtained a protective order against Meyers and had him removed from the home; a short time later, she also forced M.R. out of the home. Meyers and M.R. lived together until Patricia had M.R. involuntarily committed in January 2005, so M.R. would receive substance abuse treatment. While M.R. was in treatment, Meyers wrote her many letters, which detailed his explicit sexual conduct with her.
“Meyers asserts that there was not sufficient corroboration of the admissions he made in the letters to M.R. of his sexual acts to sustain his convictions. While M.R. did not testify in this case, testimony from Department of Human Services included that ‘Randy admitted to me that, yes, him and [M.R.] had been involved in a relationship, they had crossed the line.’ M.R.’s best friend testified that the interactions between Meyers and M.R were ‘not like father/daughter,’ but Meyers acted ‘like he wanted to be her boyfriend,’ and observed him, ‘brushing her hair back, rubbing her face and telling her how beautiful she was.’
“The district court found that the State proved that Meyers ‘engaged in at least two separate sex acts with M.R. during the period between September 2004 and January 2005.’ The admission of evidence of the 1995 and 2006 convictions for acts of sexual abuse committed upon M.R. by Meyers has relevance in this case as corroborative evidence, as it demonstrates the nature of Meyers’s relationship and feelings towards M.R.
“We agree with the district court that when Meyers was in a position of authority over M.R., he engaged in a sexual relationship with her without her voluntary consent. We find substantial evidence supports both the convictions of sexual abuse in the third degree and lascivious conduct with a minor. Affirmed.”
Most Wanted
Name: John Thomas Moss
Age: 24
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 145 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Wanted for: Forgery and theft.
If you know where to find this fugitive, you can anonymously report your tip to the Polk County Crime Stoppers by calling 223-1400, submitting the tip online at www.polkcountycrimestoppers.org or text your tip to “CRIMES” (274637) keyword “PCCS.” Cash rewards paid up to $1,000 for tips that lead to the arrest of the person
BIG NUMBER
76
The number of homicides in Iowa in 2008. Iowa’s
homicide rate climbed more than 105 percent from 2007.
