Hunter
11/05/20
An Iowa City man who was listed as missing from Hope House faces a host of charges after being found asleep in a church late Wednesday night.
According to police, officers were called to the Church of the Nazarene on Wade Street at around 11:50 pm. The reporting party said that 31-year-old Michael Welker gained entrance to the building by a window. They also reported hearing banging, and were hiding until police arrived.
Officers set up a perimeter around the area, and observed Welker leaving by the front door carrying a bag. He allegedly ran from officers, who ordered him to stop but Welker refused. He reportedly had to be taken to the ground. During the scuffle, one officer suffered a scrape to his right elbow and hurt his right shoulder. Another officer scraped his right knee.
The bag allegedly contained a crow bar and hammer, which the reporting party said did not come from the church. Welker reportedly damaged a door and a drawer while committing the alleged burglary, causing under $300 in damage. Police say items taken from the church were also valued less than $300.
A search of Welker turned up an ID with someone else’s name on it. When asked his name, Welker reportedly said that it was on the name tag, as was his date of birth. As officers processed the interference with official acts charge, it was determined that the ID had been stolen and Welker was using the name to prosecute the person for a crime he didn’t commit.
Once Welker’s identity was established, a check of police records showed that he had signed out of Hope House to go to work on July 22nd with an expected return time of midnight, but did not return. He was also wanted for allegedly stealing a truck from a parking lot on the 700 block of 5th Street in Coralville on August 22nd. Photos of the theft were posted on social media, and police say three different people identified Welker as the culprit. The truck in question was valued at over $10,000.
Welker was taken into custody and faces charges of Voluntary Absence, First Degree Theft, 5th degree Theft, 5th degree Criminal Mischief, Possession of Burglar’s Tools, Interference with Official Acts causing Bodily Injury, Providing False ID Information, Malicious Prosecution, 2 counts of 2nd Degree Burglary, and one count of 3rd Degree Burglary. If convicted on all charges, Welker could be sentenced to over 40 years in prison.