Alleged accomplice arrested for role in Iowa City armed robbery

Hunter
01/06/23

A Cedar Rapids man has been arrested for his alleged role in an armed robbery in Iowa City last year.

Police responded to the 500 block of South Van Buren Street at 9:10pm September 30^th on reports of an armed robbery that had just occurred. The victim and a witness stated that a person approached their car brandishing a firearm and pointed it directly the man’s face. He allegedly threatened to blow the victim’s head off if he didn’t hand over cash and property.

The victim complied, but was still struck by the man several times with the gun, causing injury. The victim then noticed that there was an accomplice involved. The pair fled the scene in a Honda Civic.

Police located the vehicle heading northbound on I380 and the two suspects were taken into custody. They were identified as 26-year-old Nemetorbor Siaway of River Bluff Drive and 21-year-old Mandy Gonsan of College Park Court Southwest. Siaway admitted under Miranda that he had the firearm, assaulted the victim, stole an undisclosed amount of cash and property, and fled with Gonsan.

A review of cell phone activity involving the two allegedly revealed that 23-year-old Daylen Canty of 37^th Street Northeast conspired to plan the robbery using social media. He provided the assailants with the victim’s home address, name, description and whereabouts in the weeks leading up to the robbery. Police also say that Canty was involved in communication after the robbery that detailed the event.

The social media account was identified as Canty’s through multiple identifiers stored within the platform.

A warrant was issued for his arrest on Tuesday, and Canty was taken into custody early Friday morning. He’s been charged with 1^st degree Robbery, a Class B Felony punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years if convicted.

Both Siaway and Gonsan were also charged with 1^st degree robbery; Siaway was also charged with dominion or control of a firearm as a felon. They have a case management conference scheduled a week from today and trial scheduled for February 14^th.