Cedar Rapids man accused of stealing car from Iowa City dealership

Hunter
05/04/21

A Cedar Rapids man has been taken into custody after allegedly stealing a vehicle from an Iowa City dealership.

Police were called to Billion Automotive on Mormon Trek Boulevard the morning of March 31^st on report of a stolen vehicle. According to the report, staff told officers that the mother of 31-year-old Paul Ryerson of 9^th Street Northwest contacted the dealership to notify them that her son had stolen a vehicle form them.

Staff said that Ryerson had inquired about the vehicle he allegedly stole the weekend before it went missing. They say the theft occurred sometime betweenMarch 29^th and 31^st.

When officers spoke with Ryerson on the phone, he at first denied taking the vehicle, then reportedly said he had taken it but was no longer in possession of the vehicle. Billion Automotive said the vehicle is worth $11,250.

A warrant was requested for Ryerson’s arrest on April 5^th, and he was taken into custody early Tuesday morning. He’s charged with 1^st degree Theft, a Class C Felony punishable by a prison term of up to ten years if convicted.