Police: Man broke into home and stole safe after Iowa City shots fired incident

IOWA CITY - One of the men who fled from a shots fired incident in Iowa City last week broke into a home and stole a safe before he was arrested, police said.

Iowa City police were called to the area of Grant Wood Elementary School, 1930 Lakeside Drive, at 12:32 p.m. Dec. 4 for a report that a man was shot. Responding officers learned there had been an incident with a gun, but no one was injured. Instead, a gun had been fired into the ground, police said.

As officers were arriving, several suspects fled from the scene, including 20-year-old Dearl Johnson of Iowa City. Police found Johnson after responding to a report of a suspicious person. Police said Johnson was witnessed smashing a safe against the ground and trying to open it.

According to criminal complaints, Johnson had forced open the back door to a home in the 1400 block of Crosby Lane and stole the safe, which was valued at $500.

Johnson was previously arrested for interference with official acts and failure to appear on charges of possession of a controlled substance and driving while barred. He now faces additional charges of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony, and fourth-degree theft, a serious misdemeanor.

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