SPENCER—A 34-year-old Spencer man was arrested about noon Wednesday, June 22, on an O’Brien County warrant on a charge of first-degree theft.
The arrest of Jordan Richard Walbaum stemmed from a Dec. 21, 2020, report of the theft of a white 2014 Ford F-150 pickup from Waddell Heating & Air Conditioning in Hartley, according to the Hartley Police Department.
The O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a report of a white pickup in a ditch near Sanborn a little later that morning.
The pickup left the scene of the accident but was located parked at the Sanborn Pizza Ranch at about noon that day. It was obvious the vehicle had been involved in an accident, according to the incident report.
Surveillance footage from Dyno’s Convenience Store next door showed Walbaum entering the store.
Blood samples were taken from the tailgate of the pickup. A search warrant was obtained, and a sample of Walbaum’s DNA was collected.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation determined the blood from the pickup matched Walbaum’s DNA.
A warrant was issued for Walbaum’s arrest on July 28.
Walbaum had spent the previous 16 months incarcerated for other criminal activities before the arrest on the warrant.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charge and a jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 13 in O’Brien County District Court in Primghar.