Hunter
12/31/24
Two North Liberty men were taken into custody after allegedly stealing a generator in Coralville.
Police were dispatched Saturday to the West Zeller Street residence of 29-year-old Michael Bartels and 43-year-old Christian Rincon on a report of possible stolen property. The victim reports that their generator was stolen off of Merchant Street the day before and contacted police after they discovered it on Facebook Marketplace.
When confronted, both Bartels and Rincon admitted to stealing the generator, valued at $2500. They both admitted that they didn’t know who it belonged to, and that it wasn’t theirs to sell.
Bartels and Rincon were charged with 2nd degree theft and could be sentenced to up to five years in prison each if convicted.