Hunter
5/24/21
Two Iowa City individuals were arrested Sunday night after allegedly entering a homeowner’s residence without permission.
Police say the incident occurred just after 7pm in the Modern Way neighborhood. 49-year-old Eric Young and 31-year-old Gretchen Happel were reportedly seen on the homeowner’s camera entering the residence. The homeowner was on a walk when the two were in the house and contacted police.
When officers arrived, Young and Happel stated they thought the homeowner was in prison, and they were there to take care of the owner’s dog. Both claimed to have proof that they were asked to come by and care for the animal, but were unable to provide any.
The pair were seen on the video going into the home, but there was no footage of them taking care of the dogs. Instead, they were seen going into the homeowner’s closet looking for something. When arrested, Young and Happel allegedly had knives and a realistic-looking bb gun in their possession.
Young and Happel were taken into custody and charged with 2nd degree Burglary, a Class C felony punishable by a prison term of up to ten years each.