Primghar, Iowa — O’Brien County law enforcement officials are investigating to determine if a pair of Cherokee residents who were arrested on burglary charges early Sunday may also have been involved in burglaries in O’Brien County.
Clay County authorities say that, about 4:30am Sunday morning, one of their deputies reportedly witnessed suspicious activity and a vehicle parked near a bar in downtown Royal. Upon investigation, the deputy observed burglary tools in the suspect’s vehicle, and the pair were taken into custody.
Clay County authorities arrested 25-year old Shawn Edward Boger, and 37-year old Misty Lynn Smith, of Cherokee. Both are charged with Attempted Burglary and Possession of Burglary tools, each aggravated misdemeanors, and were held in the Clay County jail on $2000 bond.
As the investigation continued, deputies executed a search warrant on Boger’s 1998 Ford pick-up truck, cell phones and residences in Cherokee and Storm Lake. Authorities say several pieces of property believed to be related to multiple bar burglaries, which have plagued northwest Iowa law enforcement agencies recently, were located and seized as evidence.
They say the investigation is continuing and additional arrests and seizures are expected. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was assisted initially by the Spencer Police Department and the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office, with subsequent assistance provided by the Clay County Attorney’s Office, the Buena Vista, Cherokee and Lyon County Sheriff’s Offices, the Cherokee and Storm Lake Police Departments, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. O’Brien County Sheriff Michael Anderson says his office is working with Clay County authorities to try and determine if these individuals may have been involved in recent burglaries of bars in Germantown and Paullina.
Any persons or agencies with additional information are encouraged to contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in Spencer.
