O’Brien County, Iowa — A Paullina resident and a man from Estherville face a litany of felony and misdemeanor charges following a crime spree that took place during the early morning hours of April 7th in Sutherland.
Court records indicate that about 2:45 that morning security video showed a PT Cruiser being taken from a Sutherland body shop by two men who were driving an S-10 Chevrolet pickup.
At about 3:40 that morning, the PT Cruiser returned to the body shop, occupied by two men that police say are 18-year-old Shane Brown of Paullina and 18-year-old Mark Steiner, Jr. of Estherville. Surveillance video allegedly showed the pair leaving the PT Cruiser, then entering and driving off in a GMC pickup that was owned by the body shop.
Around 5:15 that morning the GMC pickup was found unoccupied and on fire. Police term the truck, which was worth approximately $27,000, a total loss.
Police say their investigation led to the arrests of Brown and Steiner, and also revealed that the pair had allegedly stolen a motorcycle from a rural Sutherland farm on April 12th. The bike was recovered by O’Brien County Sheriff’s Deputies on April 12th.
According to O’Brien County authorities, Brown and Steiner face identical charges, including: 1st Degree Theft, a Class C Felony; 2nd Degree Arson, a Class C Felony; 3rd Degree Theft, an Aggravated Misdemeanor; Operating a Vehicle Without the Owner’s Consent, an Aggravated Misdemeanor; and Trespass, a Serious Misdemeanor.
O’Brien County authorities say the pair were taken into custody and transported to the O’Brien County Jail in Primghar.
Photo: Mark Steiner, Jr. (left) Shane Brown (right) — Photo courtesy of the O’Brien County Jail.
