Citizen, medics help Cedar Rapids police track down fleeing suspect

Two key assists helped Cedar Rapids police track down a suspect accused of stealing purses Friday morning.

Just before 9:30 a.m., a citizen noticed a man who appeared to have a purse under his shirt going away from the Cedar River Trail near the intersection of 32nd Street and Interstate 380. The citizen called police to report the suspicious activity, and officers responded to the area.

"After the citizen called in, our first officer in the area saw an individual matching the description on a bike, but once he made eye contact, the individual ditched the bike and took off running," Lt. Jerry Potter said. "We set up a perimeter and were developing our search plan when an Area Ambulance unit that had heard the radio traffic saw him cross Oakland Road (NE)."

Police said the man ran into an apartment building at 3300 Oakland Rd. NE. Officers secured the area and soon found him hiding in a second-floor hallway, Potter said.

"It was just a great chain of events," Potter said.

The man, identified as Jereme Williams, 30, was arrested on suspicion of third-degree burglary and interference with official acts. He is accused of stealing two purses from a van parked at the trail parking lot, after smashing out a window with a chunk of concrete, police said.

Williams ditched the purses as he was being chased by police, Potter said. They were located and will be returned to the owners.

Williams also had a felony warrant out for his arrest for escaping the supervision of the Hinzman Center, police said.

Potter said the purses were in plain view. Residents are reminded to keep items of value out of plain sight or locked in a trunk, he said.

"It was a crime of opportunity," Potter said.

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