Hunter
01/13/20
A second suspect has been arrested for his part in the theft of four golf carts from a Halloween parade in Cedar Rapids last fall.
Police say 18-year-old Robert Charles Frances Young was arrested at his home Thursday and charged with first degree criminal mischief and two counts of second degree theft.
An unnamed 16-year-old boy was arrested on November 20th and charged with second degree theft and second degree criminal mischief. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that further investigation after the first boy’s arrest led to the arrest of Young.
The 2019 parade was to raise money for Mission of Hope, but the theft has put the future of the event in jeopardy due to the fact that the carts weren’t insured and the renter assumed liability for damage or loss. The four carts were worth a total of $20,000 and were last seen at 8:30pm the night of the parade, October 26th.
The carts were recovered in various levels of damage. The first one was found off a bike path and partially in the Cedar River the next day; a second was found at a construction site. Peter Durin, a parade co-founder, found a third cart damaged, and the fourth one was found three days after the theft in an alley behind Wilson Middle School.
A fundraiser to offset the losses only generated $1060.
Young faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.