Kayak recovery leads to K-9 donation

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com 

A bad deed turned into a good deed for the efforts to bring a new K-9 police dog to Charles City when a reward offered for the return of stolen kayaks became a donation to the Jordy fund.

Steve Swartzrock of Charles City said he had two kayaks and fishing gear at a pond and a couple of weeks ago noticed that they had been stolen. He filed a report with the police on July 13 and offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to their return. He also contacted Steve Merrill.

Merrill, owner of Total Security and Investigations in Charles City, is a private investigator and security consultant who has a background as an Army military police investigator and trainer.

Swartzrock gave Merrill a picture of the kayaks and asked him to keep an eye out.

Merrill said he was driving by the courthouse a couple of days later when he noticed  what looked like the missing kayaks on an old van that was parked nearby.

He circled around for another look and the driver of the van apparently noticed his attention, he said.

“She drove over to Love’s (truck stop) and sat there for about 10 minutes, then came back to town,” Merrill said. She then took off speeding through town and going south toward the Avenue of the Saints again.

Merrill, who was following the van, said he contacted law enforcement dispatch and also called Swartzrock.

The van was stopped south of Charles City on the Avenue of the Saints and Swartzrock identified the kayaks as his.

Arrested were Danielle Kay Hurd, age 25, and Cody Lee Hansen, age 25, both of Nashua. They were both charged with second-degree theft – possession of stolen property, a Class D felony. They were both released on a promise to appear at a hearing Sept. 26.

According to the criminal complaint, recovered were two kayaks, nine fishing poles, one net, two oars, eight tackle boxes containing lures, two bags and miscellaneous lures.

Swartzrock told Merrill he would get the $1,000 reward, but Merrill said he had a better idea, instead offering to donate it to the fund to finance bringing Jordy, a trained drug locating dog, to the Charles City Police Department.

Swartzrock passed the check to Merrill and Merrill passed it to the police Thursday afternoon.

Capt. Brandon Franke said people have been generous in donating funds to bring Jordy, a Dutch shepherd dog, to the department, but they are still seeking donations to cover the total cost of Jordy’s purchase and training, modifying a squad car for him and for continuing costs of food and care.

Officer Dario Gamino, who will be Jordy’s partner, said he will begin training with Jordy in Des Moines toward the end of this month and if everything goes smoothly Jordy should be coming to Charles City to live with him in mid-September.

Swartzrock said his property has been returned, but now it’s locked up with a heavy chain.