Lang
3/20/21
Coralville Police have arrested a theft suspect they say left stolen merchandise in a hotel room after he checked out.
Police say they were following up on a stolen vehicle and burglary investigation at the Quality Inn on 9th Street on December 12th when the investigating officer learned the suspects had checked out of room 228 and moved into room 201. A check of room 228 turned up several items reported missing from earlier burglaries. The total value of the stolen items was over $2,500. Room 228 had been rented to 27-year-old Chase Kelley of Cedar Rapids.
North Liberty Police caught up with Kelley on December 20th at Urban Fuel on Hawkeye Drive. They were investigating a 2003 Volvo S60 that had been reported as stolen out of Cedar Rapids. An officer interacted with Kelley at the gas station, but did not initially know he was a suspect. Video later showed Kelley driving the stolen vehicle into the gas station parking lot.
Kelley was booked into the Johnson County Jail at 3:15 Friday afternoon and charged with two counts of 2nd Degree Theft and one count of 4th Degree Theft. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum of 11 years in prison.
Online records show Kelley is also wanted out of Washington and Louisa counties.