The good
Metro area police departments held a Voluntary Weapons Turn-In at various locations during Police Week recently with the goal of reducing the number of unwanted firearms and weapons that could end up in the wrong hands. They collected 59 different items, including handguns, rifles, shotguns, muzzle loaders and pellet guns as well as several thousand rounds of all types of ammunition. After it is determined that none of these items are stolen, they will be sent to the Department of Criminal Investigation for testing. If they are found to have not been used in a crime, they will be destroyed. Police believe such programs will help keep weapons off the streets to decrease their potential for being used in violent crimes and accidents.
The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) is providing food, beverage and spiritual support to survivors and first responders following the severe tornado activity and damage in Oklahoma last week. The Salvation Army is currently mobilizing disaster response units to serve hard-hit areas in central Oklahoma and has volunteers from four states on the scene in Moore, Okla., specifically, although no equipment or personnel from Des Moines has been called to serve in Oklahoma as of press time. Donors are encouraged to give online at www.salvationarmy-desmoines.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Or text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation via mobile phone. Checks designated to Oklahoma Tornado Relief may also be mailed to: The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 933, Des Moines, IA 50304.
The bad
Local police have ended their hunt for a suspect who reportedly robbed the West Bank at 2440 E. Euclid in Des Moines. The suspect entered the bank and displayed a black handgun while demanding money. He was given cash and was last seen getting into what was described as a black Pontiac with unknown plates. Beau Peterson, 31, of Altoona, allegedly entered the bank, displayed a gun and left with an undisclosed amount of money. Des Moines Crimes Against Persons detectives Tim Peak and Matt Towers developed leads in the investigation that led to the arrest and have charged Peterson with one count of armed robbery for the West Bank crime as well as another count for an April 23 robbery at the Community State Bank, 3540 E. 33rd St., in Des Moines.
Kids can learn a lot from taking field trips, but a fourth-grade class in Minnesota learned tragic lessons on life and death last week. The class was checking out a Mississippi River park when two students were killed and two others were injured by a freak landslide. One of the deceased wasn’t found until the next day. Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said persistent rains caused the gravel to give way and slide over the group of children, who were visiting from an elementary school in the western Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, Minn., burying one to the waist and completely burying another.
The ugly
Apparently Tiara Drake of North Carolina hadn’t had enough whine with her cheese. This 23-year-old woman was upset after one of her five family members denied her a slice of cheese. In an attempt to get back at her relative for withholding the dairy snack from her, Drake decided to lace the cheese with household cleaners, including laundry detergent. The next morning, her family used this chemical-filled cheese for cooking their morning breakfast. When they sat down to eat, one of them noticed a funky taste and realized it had been poisoned. Drake is being charged with five counts of attempted first-degree murder for her cheesy crime.
News sources report that Brian Rios, 25, had allegedly been sharing child pornography from his work computer at El Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Pleasant Hill. Police officers went online with undercover identities in attempt to catch him in the act. After Rios misstepped by sending pictures to the undercover team, he was promptly arrested by federal agents. Pleasant Hill Police Officer Ron Zimmerman reports Rios will soon appear before a grand jury for indictment on charges of distribution of child pornography. CV
