Police: Man climbed through car dealership ceiling in escape attempt

IOWA CITY - A shoplifter tried to evade police capture by crawling through the ceiling of a car dealership, police said.

According to Iowa City police criminal complaints, an officer was called to Wal-Mart around 11 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a shoplifter who had fled the scene. Police said the suspect, later identified as 27-year-old Jared M. Bell, then ran to the nearby Carousel Motors car dealership and locked himself inside of a restroom.

Officers went to Carousel and ordered Bell out of the restroom, police said. Instead, police said he climbed up into the ceiling of the business and attempted to escape.

Bell 'caused damage to the ceiling and said he would not come down because he would not go to jail,” a report states.

Police said they were able to eventually talk Bell out of the ceiling, but not before he caused 'considerable damage and disruption” to the business. He was also found to have three active arrest warrants, police said.

Bell tried to steal toy cleaning supplies and tools from Wal-Mart valued at $53.32, police said.

Bell now faces charges of fifth-degree theft, interference with official acts and trespass causing damage greater than $200. The first two offenses are simple misdemeanors and the trespass charge is a serious misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.