Multiple burglary charges include Floyd County incidents

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com 

A Waterloo man is in jail in Floyd County after being charged with multiple thefts or attempted thefts in several counties.

According to the Oelwein police, a multi-jurisdictional task force containing law enforcement members from several agencies was put together to investigate a series of break-ins and attempted break-ins in north Iowa.

Jonathan Henry Martin, age 35, of Waterloo, was identified as a suspect in the break-ins, and was under surveillance when three Floyd County burglaries and attempted burglaries took place Sunday morning, police said.

Martin is accused of these incidents in Floyd County, while being observed by the multi-officer team:

• Attempting to break into Dugan’s Restaurant in Floyd at about 3:10 a.m. Dec. 16. Court records say he struck the glass on the front door, causing damage. The business was closed at the time. He was charged with third-degree attempted burglary, an aggravated misdemeanor.

• Breaking into the Town Mart in Rudd at 3:20 a.m. Dec. 16, allegedly breaking through the glass front door and taking cigarettes from behind the counter. The store was closed at the time, according to court documents. He was charged with third-degree burglary, a Class D felony.

• Attempting to break into Yes Way in Rockford at about 4 a.m. Dec. 16, by shattering a glass door. The business was closed. He was charged with third-degree attempted burglary, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Martin is accused of these crimes in Chickasaw County that allegedly took place on a morning in November:

• Breaking into the CASH Inc. Hardware store in Lawler at 3:10 a.m. Nov. 25, by breaking the front glass door. Court records say Martin obtained a small sledge hammer and pry bar from the store.

Video footage shows a vehicle matching the description of one owned by Martin pulling up at the hardware store at the time of the alleged burglary, and tire impressions taken at the scene match the vehicle, the criminal complaint alleges. Martin was charged with second-degree burglary, a Class C felony.

• Breaking into the Hideaway Lounge in Ionia at 3:44 a.m. Nov. 25. Court records say he broke a glass door to get in the building, then attempted to pry open a cash register, eventually taking the entire cash register.

“Video footage shows the defendant using a pry bar and small sledge hammer to try and gain access to the cash register. The pry bar and hammer match those taken from the C.A.S.H lumber yard burglary that happened approximately 30 minutes prior,” the record says.

Martin was charged with second-degree burglary, a Class C felony.

He was also charged with a Nov. 5 burglary of Van Denover Jewelry store in Oelwein.

Oelwein police said the multi-department task force included officers or support from sheriff’s offices in Floyd, Chickasaw, Butler, Black Hawk, Linn and Grundy counties; and police departments from Oelwein, Hampton, Clear Lake and Sumner, as well as the Iowa Department of Transportation Bureau of Investigation and Identity Protection.