Cedar Rapids man escapes work-release facility

Police are looking for Joseph D. Dahlen of Cedar Rapids, who failed to return to a Coralville work-release facility Wednesday while serving a sentence for robbery.

Dahlen, 30, was declared an escapee at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday for failing to return to Hope House, Department of Corrections spokesman Fred Scaletta said.

Dahlen, who is African American, is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 180 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes, and tattoos on both ankles, both forearms, back, right knee, and left shoulder and upper arm.

Dahlen was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree robbery in connection with a March 19, 2003, incident in the 1400 block of Bever Avenue SE. He was sentenced Aug. 1, 2003 and transferred to work-release Oct. 25, 2010.

Anyone with information regarding Dahlen's whereabouts is asked to call Coralville police, at (319)248-1800, or the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, (319)356-6030.