Hunter
10/22/19
A 19-year-old Iowa City man faces a host of charges after being identified as the suspect in an attempted burglary.
Officers were called to the 400 block of Samoa Drive on Saturday at 4:47am on reports of a burglary in progress. They arrived quickly and located Charles Niphong of Bartelt Road on the scene, matching the description provided by the reporting party.
Niphong took off running when he saw police and was not located. They were able to identify him using surveillance video and knew him to be a suspect in several area burglaries.
On Sunday, a resident in the 2500 block of Clearwater Court reported that his $49,000 Chevy Silverado pickup had been stolen, and believed that whoever took it entered his home to obtain the keys. A subsequent investigation determined that Niphong drove to the Williamsburg area with the vehicle and committed several burglaries before returning to Iowa City. Niphong was identified on surveillance video operating the Silverado after it was reported stolen.
Police executed a search warrant at Niphong’s apartment Monday night and detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the residence. Inside, they found a small amount of the green, leafy substance. They also located a Springfield XD 40 caliber firearm that had been reported stolen the previous evening,
Niphong was taken into custody at around 8:30pm and charged with 2nd degree Attempted Burglary, Dominion or Control of a Firearm by a Felon, Trafficking in Stolen Weapons, Possession of a controlled substance, and 1st degree Theft. If convicted on all counts, Niphong could be sentenced to 26 years in prison. Additional charges may be forthcoming.
