Hunter
02/20/23
Troopers took a man into custody Sunday afternoon and charged him with the theft of two vehicles.
At around 1pm, 33-year-old Alex Barrett was observed walking along westbound Interstate 80 near the 235 mile marker with a dog, with an abandoned vehicle a short distance behind him. The vehicle, a Dodge Ram pickup, was investigated by a trooper. The plate was run through state radio and discovered it to be stolen out of Cedar Rapids. A search of the vehicle found a bag of food from McDonalds that appeared relatively fresh, and a cellphone.
A short time later, another trooper reportedly found Barrett and the dog with a BMW that had been abandoned during the recent winter storm and was tangled in the median cable. The vehicle now had its flashers on and the rear hatch opened, after not being open or with active flashers earlier that morning. Barrett reportedly stated that he had been dropped off there by a friend to get the vehicle towed, and claimed to know the owner of the vehicle.
A call to the owner proved otherwise. He said he had arranged for his insurance company to tow the vehicle, and didn’t know Barrett.
Barrett was reportedly found with the fob to the BMW, and a receipt from McDonalds matching the food found in the pickup. He was taken into custody and charged with 2 counts of 2nd degree theft. If convicted on the charges, Barrett could be sentenced to up to ten years in prison.