Two Iowa City teenagers face robbery charges

IOWA CITY — Two Iowa City teenagers are facing first-degree robbery charges after an alleged armed robbery last month at GreenState Credit Union on the city’s west side.

Iowa City police responded just before 11 p.m. Dec. 21 to a report of a robbery at the credit union. According to police, the victim was using the drive-thru ATM when he was approached by an individual with a gun, who then pointed the gun at his head.

The victim was able to drive away unharmed, police said.

Police were able to see the incident on surveillance video. They identified the pair seen on the video as Laron Gadlen Jr., 16, and Tavarion Herron, 17, who were arrested Monday.

Gadlen was identified through the video by people who were familiar with him, according to a criminal complaint.

Social media accounts showed Gadlen wearing the same clothes and having a firearm that matched the description — a black pistol with an extended magazine — around the same times as the robbery, according to the complaint.

The video footage showed Herron armed with a pistol, wearing a gray “NASA” sweatshirt. Herron was wearing the same sweatshirt when police executed a search warrant Monday at his residence, according to the complaint.

Herron did not tell police what he did with the pistol.

Police also served a warrant at Gadlen’s residence. A firearm similar to the one described by the victim was found at one of the residences, police said.

Iowa City police said they used the Linn County Sheriff’s Office armored vehicle to serve one of the warrants.

According to police, “additional arrests are possible and the investigation is ongoing.”

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