Iowa City Police: Citizen Sleuth Leads to Capture of Repeat Thief After Finding Clues in his Trash

I guess the lesson is when you rob from your neighbor, don't put any of your items in your trash.

Or don't rob from your neighbor(s). That one works, too.

According to an Iowa City Police complaint, an Iowa City man was taken booked into the Johnson County Jail in early April and charged with a series of thefts allegedly committed in the area earlier in the year.

James Lyvone Travis Jr., 21, of Iowa City, is facing charges of three counts of fifth-degree theft, a simple misdemeanor; one count of fourth-degree theft, a serious misdemeanor; one count of third-degree theft, an aggravated misdemeanor; and two counts of third-degree burglary, a Class D felony -- for a string of thefts he is accused of committing in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.

According to police complaints, a burglary was reported eariler this year with a report of several electronic items having been stolen on 6th Avenue. After this, the man who filed the report, who said he suspected Travis of committing the crime, searched through Travis' garbage after it was set out on the curb. The man said he found several items connected to another residential burglary, and reported his findings to the police.

After this, a search warrant was obtained for Travis' residence and police found many items related to other thefts and burglaries. These items included: a car stereo from a February car burglary in Iowa City, a television and jewelry box stolen from Cedar Rapids in November of last year, a stolen Samsung cellphone, a laptop from a Cedar Rapids burglary a day before the other one, and a HTC cellphone taken from a car.

According to the complaint, Travis confessed to committing the crimes. He also has a felony drug charge filed against him as well, and has an active bail of $27,500 according to online jail records.