Compiled by Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com

On the clock
Des Moines Police — March 9-10

March 9, 4:45 p.m.

Third degree burglary in the 1700 block of East Grand Avenue. The victim reported she was inside Kelly’s Little Nipper, 1701 E. Grand Ave., when she heard her car alarm go off. When she exited the bar, she saw one of four male suspects climbing out of the back of her car. The suspect(s) broke out the rear passenger window and attempted to steal her speakers. The suspect(s) jumped into an older red SUV and fled the scene.

March 9, 6:12 p.m.

Indecent exposure in the 100 block of East First Street. Two young people approached an officer stating that there was a man inside an open structure “with his pants down, sucking his thumb.” Upon arrival officers saw the suspect with his pants in his hands and no other clothes covering him between his waist and ankles. There was allegedly a paint thinner smell inside the structure. The suspect was arrested and transported to Polk County Jail.

March 10, midnight to 4 a.m.

Burglary in the 800 block of Southeast 14th Street. Officers were dispatched to Elite Fuel, 806 S.E. 14th St., on a burglary call. A witness was delivering newspapers and encountered a burglary in progress. Officers eventually made contact with an employee who arrived and secured the area. The employee stated that he thought the only thing missing was the cash register, which contained an unknown amount of cash. The store has no security alarm system or camera.

Busted

Name: Reginald Bragg

The story: The victim stated that he and Bragg had an argument that turned violent behind Quik Trip, 1215 Sixth Ave. The victim stated that during the fight Bragg pulled out a pocketknife and cut him in the face. Bragg said the victim punched him in the face, and that they both fell down some stairs. Bragg admitted to fighting with the victim, saying they had a long running dispute, but denied using a knife. A witness said he saw the two men fighting. Officers talked with Bragg and told him to stay put while they went to talk to the victim about the dispute. Officers were talking to the victim when Bragg walked across the street yelling at the victim. Officers pulled Bragg aside and asked if he had been drinking. Bragg allegedly smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and aggressive behavior. Bragg admitted that he had at least two drinks. Bragg was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon 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. Joshua Ray Puffinbarger.

“E.A. claimed her friend’s father, Joshua Puffinbarger, sexually abused her when she was eleven or twelve years old. A jury found Puffinbarger guilty of one count of third-degree sexual abuse.

“At trial, a key issue was whether the district court should have admitted evidence of subsequent bad acts by Puffinbarger against E.A. The State sought the admission of three acts of a sexual nature that occurred after the act with which Puffinbarger was charged: inappropriate touching of E.A. while Puffinbarger was giving her a ride in his truck, touching of E.A.’s breasts and rubbing of E.A.’s thigh. Puffinbarger filed motions in limine to have this evidence excluded. The district court overruled the motions. During trial, Puffinbarger’s attorney objected to some, but not all, of this evidence. The objections that were made were overruled. After trial, the court overruled Puffinbarger’s motion for new trial grounded on the admission of this evidence.

“We find it unnecessary to address the error preservation concerns raised by the State with respect to the cited evidentiary rules because those rules are not the basis of our decision. Here, the challenged evidence involved acts by Puffinbarger with E.A. In our view, the fact that the acts occurred after the charged act rather than before does not render the evidence less probative because it still bore on the nature of the relationship. The next question is whether the evidence, albeit relevant, should nonetheless have been excluded for other reasons. We find no reasoned basis for distinguishing the type of evidence at issue. E.A. briefly testified to the three incidents described. Two of the incidents occurred during the same summer as the act that was the basis of the charge. Although the third act occurred two or three years later, the act was similar to one of the other subsequent acts and no more inflammatory than the act that was the basis of the charge.

“For these reasons, we conclude the challenged evidence was admissible. We discern no abuse of discretion in the district court’s decision to admit the evidence. We affirm Puffinbarger’s judgment and sentence for third-degree sexual abuse.”

Most wanted

Name: Charles “Scooby” Brown
Age: 29
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 200 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown

Wanted for: Parole violation, assault and weapon charges. Brown is considered dangerous. If you know where to find this fugitive, call Crime Stoppers at 223-1400.

65,000 : The number of workers employed downtown, which is one of the highest rates per capita in the U.S.

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