Compiled by Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com

On the clock
Des Moines Police — Dec. 30 – Jan. 1

Dec. 30, 5:30 a.m.
Criminal trespass in the 200 block of 15th Street. Officers were dispatched to the Kum & Go located at 205 15th St. Upon arrival the clerk told officers that the suspect would not leave the store. Officers escorted the suspect outside and told him several times to leave the property. The suspect continued to refuse to leave and officers arrested him for criminal trespass.

Dec. 31, 11:37 p.m.
Assault causing injury in the 2300 block of Douglas Avenue. The victim stated he was at a neighbor’s house with some friends and his stepson. Both the victim and his stepson were allegedly drinking alcoholic beverages in the basement, when the stepson punched the victim in the left eye, causing a cut and bleeding. He then grabbed the victim by the shirt and tried to choke him. The victim said he left and was walking home when the suspect chased him down and punched him in the left jaw with a beer can, causing another cut to the victims face. The suspect left on foot and was later picked up by police at a nearby gas station.

Jan. 1, 6:59 p.m.
Assault causing injury in the 1100 block of Martin Luther King Parkway. The suspect arrived at the house to pick up his girlfriend. Upon arrival he began arguing with one of the tenants and the victim stepped between them to break up the argument. The suspect reached through the door and stabbed the victim in the arm. The suspect fled the scene and was later stopped and arrested on the east side of town.

Busted

Name: Jessie Parish
The story: Officers responded to a complaint of a loud party in the 1700 block of East 14th Street, during the early morning of New Year’s Day. Upon arrival they observed Parish walking out of the front door with a beer in his hands. Officers asked Parish to take the beer back inside and asked whose house it was when Parish responded it was his. Officers informed him to keep the noise down, and if they had to come back, he would be arrested. Parish responded, “well you might as well take me to motherfucking jail then.” Officers repeatedly told Parish to calm down and go inside, but he became more agitated and belligerent. The suspect clinched and raised his fist bringing it toward an officer’s face. The officer reacted by spraying a burst of pepper spray in Parish’s face. Parish grabbed the officer and began punching him in the kidney. The officer grabbed Parish and put him in a headlock taking him to the ground. Parish was taken to jail and charged with assault of a police officer.

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. Juan Dunigan.

“Juan Dunigan contends he was denied effective assistance of counsel in several respects. In order to prevail, Dunigan must prove by a preponderance of the evidence deficient performance by his attorneys and resulting prejudice. However, both elements do not always need to be addressed. If the claim lacks prejudice, it can be decided on that ground alone without deciding whether the attorney performed deficiently.

“Dunigan was convicted of first-degree robbery stemming from an incident occurring on April 15, 2002. David Buehrer was beaten with a pistol before surrendering the $46 he had in his pocket to his assailant. His conviction was based on his identification by Buehrer, the testimony of another eyewitness and his arrest three miles from the scene of the robbery in a vehicle matching the description given by Buehrer with $46 in his pocket.

“On Jan. 16, 2004, Dunigan filed an application for post conviction relief alleging his appellate counsel was ineffective in failing to raise the issue of trial counsel’s ineffective assistance. He alleged trial counsel was ineffective in giving him false information regarding the severity of the penalty he faced if convicted of the charge, and in failing to make inquiry regarding an unknown person who informed him during trial that Lewis was a liar. The district court denied the application. The post conviction court found Dunigan’s claims that his attorney misled him to be ‘buyer’s remorse’ and found the trial attorney’s testimony credible when he said he had informed Dunigan of the potential sentence. On April 15, 2002, Dunigan was informed by the trial court specifically that if convicted of first-degree robbery he would be incarcerated ‘until you’re 40-years-old,’ whereas ‘robbery second conviction would require incarceration until you were about 26.’

“There is substantial evidence of his guilt. The victim of the robbery identified Dunigan as his assailant both the night of the robbery and at trial. He followed the car in which his assailant fled in and memorized the license plate. Finally, we reject Dunigan’s claim on appeal that the post conviction court allowed, the outcome of the post conviction proceeding would not have differed for the above-stated reasons. Accordingly, we affirm.”

Most Wanted

Name: Kenneth Leroy Heard
Age: 26
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 200 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Wanted for: being a material witness to a homicide. He also goes by Kenneth Quinn or “KQ.”
If you know where to find this fugitive, call Crime Stoppers at 223-1400.

1,298 : The number of robberies committed in the state of Iowa in 2006.

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