Lang
7/17/20
A suspect in a break-in during rioting in Coralville last month has been released from jail.
27-year-old Devonte Flowers was released from the Johnson County Jail just before noon Thursday after a bond review hearing. Coralville Police say that just before 1:30am on June 1st, Flowers and several other suspects wearing masks entered Smokin’ Joe’s on The Coralville Strip by breaking a window with a large rock. The group then looted the store, taking 56 items totaling $1,589.48 in value, including lottery tickets and liquor. The entire incident was caught of surveillance video.
The break-in occurred while a large group of people gathered outside Coral Ridge Mall with the intention of breaking into the facility. The group was responding to a social media post encouraging people to loot the mall under the guise of protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police.
Flowers was developed as a suspect when he tried exchanging the winning, stolen tickets at an Iowa City Kum & Go on June 10th. Police say he stole 28 tickets totaling $110 in value.
Flowers was arrested the next day at his residence in the Town and Campus Apartments on Arthur Street in Iowa City. He’s charged with 2nd Degree Theft, Theft of Lottery Tickets, 3rd Degree Burglary, 3rd Degree Criminal Mischief, Trespassing Casing Damage Greater Than $300, and 4th Degree Criminal Mischief. The lesser criminal mischief charge comes after surveillance video also showed Flowers throwing a rock through a window at Tires Plus on 10th Street.
If convicted on all charges. Flowers faces a maximum of 19 years in prison. Arraignment is set for July 31st.
Flowers is also facing a no-contact order violation after allegedly calling the protected party at The Heartland Inn on June 11th. The woman didn’t answer, but when she called the number back Flowers allegedly answered and said, “don’t send the police after me.”