Storm Lake, Iowa — A teenager has been charged by the Storm Lake Police Department with attempting to solicit the murder of a young child.
The department was contacted around midnight this past Friday regarding an individual that had visited the parody website rentahitman.com. The website’s webmaster reported that someone had visited the site on two occasions and had attempted to solicit the murder of a seven-year-old child in Storm Lake. Details about the child, including the child’s name, addresses, and where the child could be located were included in the solicitation request.
Investigators identified the person targeted in the incident, as well as a possible suspect. On Friday morning, an undercover police officer posed as a hitman and made contact with the suspect. The undercover officer confirmed with the suspect that the suspect wanted the target killed. The suspect confirmed the name of the target, home address, and the time the target would be at the house. At around 3:30 Friday afternoon, Storm Lake Police located the suspect, a 17-year-old female, at an address on Geisinger Road.
A search warrant was executed on a cellphone that was seized from the suspect. Based on evidence obtained throughout the investigation, police believe the solicitation was a credible threat towards the victim.
On Friday evening, the 17-year-old was charged with one count of Solicitation to Commit Murder, a class C felony. She was arrested, referred to juvenile court, and transported to the Cherokee Youth Emergency Services Center. The victim and the victim’s family were not harmed, and were unaware of the potential threat.
The investigation is ongoing. The Storm Lake Police Department was assisted by the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and the BV County Attorney’s Office.
Story from Community First Broadcasting sister station KAYL in Storm Lake
