Wednesday, November 30

MUSCATINE, IA (IRN) – A Muscatine elementary school was vandalized over the weekend. The name “Trump,” the letters “KKK” and racial slurs were spray-painted on the building. WQAD-TV reports police are looking for the person or persons responsible.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Cedar Rapids man was arrested after child pornography was found on his cell phone while the phone was being repaired. KWWL-TV reports employees of the repair shop were fixing 33-year-old Jeremy Rodriguez’s cell phone when they inadvertently found child pornographic images. Rodriguez was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

ONAWA, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man accused of trying to lure a 6-year-old girl into his car faces several charges. The Des Moines Register reports 56-year-old Jeff Lee Altmayer approached the girl Wednesday on an Onawa street and offered her $100 to get in his car. Another child screamed, and neighbors confronted Altmayer. Altmayer told them he was a police officer and was armed, then drove off. Troopers stopped Altmayer south of Onawa, and he was arrested.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An Ankeny man has been charged with first-degree murder and felony child endangerment, according to KCCI-TV. 29-year-old Michael Anthony Lourens was charged after a 9-month-old girl suffered traumatic brain injuries at a Polk County home. Lourens told deputies he accidentally rolled over the child, causing her head to hit the floor. Police don’t believe it was an accident. Lourens was also charged with failure to register as a sex offender.

CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – An SUV and a train collided in North Iowa Tuesday in Charles City, according to KIMT-TV. The single brush-cutting train car was derailed in the crash and the SUV suffered significant front end damage. One person was injured. The Charles City Police Department says the lights and arms at the crossing did not activate, which is normal when only one train car is passing through.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Cedar Rapids Police say the usual holiday warnings about locking your cars and burglar-proofing your home comes with a twist this year. KCRG-TV reports the number of forgery cases doubled this year. Thieves are snatching checks from checkbooks. They won’t take the top few checks, and people might not know the checks are missing for weeks, which gives thieves time to forge and pass the checks.