Two arrested in Iowa City stolen vehicle, burglary investigation

IOWA CITY - Iowa City police have made two arrests in a stolen car and burglary investigation and are looking for more victims.

Officers responded to the east side of Iowa City just before 4 a.m. Friday for a report of a vehicle that had been stolen from a residence and driven south in the 200 block of Shrader Road. Five minutes after receiving the dispatch, officers spotted the stolen vehicle pulling into the Kum & Go at 2303 Muscatine Avenue. The driver, 31-year-old Jonathan T.N. Cowart, of Iowa City, and his passenger, 26-year-old Alissa A. Walls, of Oxford, were taken into custody.

Police said during a search of the vehicle, they found several items the owner of the stolen vehicle said did not belong to him. Officers checked the property as well as the area where the vehicle was stolen and found at least four theft victims, police said.

Police said they still have some stolen property whose owners have not been found. They are looking for the public's help in getting the property back to its owners. The area of focus is Shrader Road and the 900 block of East Jefferson Street.

Iowa City Police Sgt. Scott Gaarde said the department has noticed an increase in stolen vehicles and car burglaries in the last several weeks. Some of those cases involve victims who left their keys in the vehicle, which Gaarde said is not recommended.

'We encourage them to not leave their valuables in the car or at least secure their valuables in the trunk space,” he said. 'Obviously, we recommend you secure your vehicle.”

Gaarde said police are looking into whether Cowart is connected to the other vehicle burglaries and thefts.

If your vehicle or residence has been burglarized or you've had stolen property, police ask that you call and report the crime.

Cowart and Walls both face charges of second-degree theft, a Class D felony, and four counts of third-degree burglary, an aggravated misdemeanor. Cowart also faces an additional charge of drunken driving.