Two men, one of whom pretended to be a police detective, are charged with second-degree robbery after working together to steal a backpack Sunday morning.
William Hartley, 38, of Marshalltown, allegedly approached a 20-year-old man in the backyard of 504 N. Third Ave. dressed similarly to how Marshalltown Police Department dress in the summer, Capt. Mike Hanken, of the MPD, said.
Hartley, who identified himself as a detective, instructed the victim to enter the home - the residence of the other man arrested, Justin Fisher, 20. When he did, Hartley allegedly took the man's backpack and fled the house.
Article Photos
Hartley
"He became initially suspicious after observations of the suspect," Hanken said. "Things weren't adding up."
Police arrived at the home to find Fisher with the backpack, which contained some coins and $200 in cash, and a pipe used for smoking drugs. They brought Fisher in for questioning and subsequently arrested him for second-degree robbery, a Class C felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor.
During the investigation, Hanken said Hartely's name came up, and police discovered he and Fisher were working together.
An MPD SWAT team executed a search warrant of Hartley's home at 713 N. Fifth Ave. without incident Monday afternoon. They took him into custody and charged him with second-degree robbery and impersonating a police officer, an aggravated misdemeanor.
Hartley made his initial appearance Tuesday. Both he and Fisher are being held on $10,000 bond. With Hartley's arrest, police concluded their investigation Monday and released details of the pair's arrest Tuesday.
Police returned the backpack and its contents to the owner.