On December 23 at about 8 pm the Mt. Pleasant Police Department was dispatched to a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of East Washington and South Walnut Street. A van operated by Jens Erp of Bloomfield was traveling north on South Walnut Street. Erp failed to obey the red light for northbound traffic on South Walnut Street and continued through intersection of East Washington Street without stopping. Erp’s van was struck by another van operated by Jonathan Brown of Batavia that was westbound on East Washington Street. Both vehicles were considered a total loss. Three occupants in the Erp vehicle were transported by the Henry County ambulance crew for possible minor injuries. As a result of this investigation, Jens Erp was cited for failure to obey traffic control device.

Tuesday morning early multiple agencies were involved in a pursuit that began near Burlington and ended in Mount Pleasant. The pursuit ended when the vehicle Dylan Randall Smith, age 25, of Mt. Pleasant was driving hit a Mount Pleasant police cruiser. Smith was arrested on multiple charges. He was transported to the Des Moines County Jail where he was charged with numerous driving charges, Serious Domestic Assault, two counts Theft 2nd degree, Felony Eluding a Peace Officer, Possession of Methamphetamine 2nd Offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and a Failure to Appear warrant on a previous Methamphetamine charge. On December 21, 2021, at approximately 12:47a.m. a Des Moines County deputy checked on a suspicious vehicle at Hunt Woods Park south of Burlington. As the deputy approached the vehicle, he observed a female crying outside the vehicle. A male subject then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The vehicle the deputy was checking on was found to be stolen. The female advised she had been assaulted by the male and she had visible injuries. While additional units checked the area for the male suspect, a vehicle was seen leaving the area and a deputy recognized the driver as the suspect, later identified as Smith, who had fled on foot. The deputy then attempted to stop the vehicle and a high-speed pursuit ensued. That vehicle, later determined to be stolen, went north into West Burlington and then west on US Highway 34 towards Mount Pleasant.  During the pursuit the suspect ran through stops signs, drove at speeds of 110 mph, and drove westbound in the eastbound lanes of US Highway 34. During the pursuit, multiple attempts were made to stop the vehicle. The suspect eventually crashed the stolen vehicle into a Mt. Pleasant Police Department vehicle near US Highway 34 and US Highway 218. The driver, Smith is being held in the Des Moines County Jail on a $51,000.00 bond.

Over the last several months, the Mount Pleasant Police Department and Henry County Sheriff’s Office have jointly investigated several reported vehicle burglaries, firearm thefts, robberies and incidents involving firearms within the Mount Pleasant/Henry County, Iowa area. Throughout the investigations, several search warrants were received and executed.

The following subjects have been charged in connection with investigated incidents within the Mount Pleasant/Henry County, Iowa area:

Levi Whaley, 19 of Mount Pleasant, IA:

• Intimidation with a dangerous weapon, class C felony
• Robbery 1^st, class B felony
• Robbery 2^nd, class C felony
• Criminal Mischief 2^nd, class D felony
• Attempted Burglary 3^rd (vehicle), serious misdemeanor

Bryce Cohn, 17 of Mount Pleasant, IA:

• Robbery 1^st, class B felony
• Robbery 2^nd, class C felony
• Criminal Mischief 2^nd, class D felony
• Attempted Burglary 3^rd (vehicle), serious misdemeanor

Maddison Millard, 19 of Mount Pleasant:

• Robbery 2^nd, class C felony
• Trafficking Stolen Weapons, class D felony
• Felon in possession of firearm, class D felony
• Possession with intent to deliver Ecstasy, class B felony
• Possession with intent to deliver Marijuana, class D felony

Thomas Lambert, 18 of Mount Pleasant:

• Burglary 3^rd (vehicle burglary), aggravated misdemeanor
• Theft 2^nd, class D felony
• Trafficking stolen weapons, class D felony – two counts

Ryan Maschmann, 19 of Wayland, IA:

• Robbery 1^st, class B felony
• Robbery 2^nd, class C felony
• Criminal Mischief 2^nd, class D felony
• Burglary 3^rd (vehicle), aggravated misdemeanor

Tabian Waddle, 20 of Morning Sun:

• Robbery 1^st, class B felony

Both Access Energy Cooperative and the Mount Pleasant Utilities have received phone calls reporting scammers attempting to get access to personal credit card information. The scammers are calling utility customers and Access members claiming you are late with your bill payment and demanding your credit card number to make the payment. Utility companies do not call you and ask for this information. Please hang up and if you wish you can call your energy supplier.