Cedar Rapids, IOWA – CRPD officials said the 24-year-old suspect was arrested and taken into custody on Thursday, July 7.
His name is Skylar Strawn and he is now charged with Burglary 3rd Degree, Possession of Burglar’s Tools, Theft, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving While Barred, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability.
According to the statement, the Cedar Rapids Police Property Crimes Unit recorded a high level of construction site burglaries across the city.
In response, they deployed plain-clothes investigators in unmarked vehicles to conduct surveillance on construction sites throughout the city.
On July 6, 2022, Cedar Rapids Police Investigators, with assistance from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, deployed decoy-construction equipment, and plain-clothes investigators in the area of the 2100 block of Wiley BLVD SW.
Around 5:09 a.m. July 7, 2022, the responding officers observed a suspect, Skylar Strawn, stealing the decoy construction equipment.
This incident remains under investigation.