One adult and three juveniles were charged in relation to a string of vehicle burglaries and thefts in Pella.

On October 24th, Pella Officers responded to a call regarding individuals burglarizing a vehicle. Officers searched the area extensively and were able to locate two suspects.
Alexander Baker, 19, of Oskaloosa was arrested and charged with one count of burglary from a motor vehicle, an aggravated misdemeanor, and one count of theft in the 5th degree, a simple misdemeanor. Officers were able to recover some of the items stolen.

The following week, Pella investigators interviewed multiple suspects and followed many investigative leads. They were able to determine that Alexander Baker and three juveniles, working as a group, committed a total of four burglaries and thefts from motor vehicles. All of the motor vehicles were unlocked and had valuables stored in them.

On October 29th, six additional warrants for Alexander Baker were issued. These warrants included three additional counts of burglary from a motor vehicle and theft in the 5th degree. On November 3rd, Baker was located and arrested on the warrants. Alexander Baker was transported to the Marion County Jail.

In addition, Juvenile referrals/charges were issued for the three minors and forwarded to the juvenile court.

The Juveniles are from the following communities:
Juvenile A- Searsboro, Iowa
Juvenile B- University Park, Iowa
Juvenile C- Barnes City, Iowa

For adults, convictions for an Aggravated Misdemeanor carry a period of confinement of up to 5 years and a maximum fine of $6,250 and convictions for a Simple Misdemeanor carry a period of confinement of up to 30 days and a maximum fine of $500.

The Pella Police Department wishes to remind everyone to secure their vehicles at all times, and ensure all valuables are removed nightly.