Iowa City Police Investigate Wednesday Night Home Invasion

Iowa City police are looking for a burglary suspect after a failed burglary attempt Wednesday evening in Northside Iowa City.

Police say they responded to a burglary call at 421 E Davenport St. at 9:15 p.m. Once officers arrived, the woman who made the call told them that she had come home to her residence on Davenport Street to find a stranger in her dining room, holding her purse.

The woman told police that she chased the man out of her house yelling for him to stop. The woman said the burglar than stopped near Mercy Hospital and hid in the bushes. When she found him there, the man attempted to punch her in the face, and then threatened her to stop following him because he had a gun. The woman said she then stopped following the man and left to call police.

During the chase the man dropped the purse. According to the woman, the man had also been carrying a laptop that did not belong to her residence.

The man was described as a 50-year-old African American, 5'10" in height and weighing 160 lbs. At the time of the crime, he was wearing blue jeans and a short sleeve flannel shirt over a dark t-shirt, and had athletic tape wrapped on one of his hands. 

Police say they believe the man entered the residence through an unlocked door. 

Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers is offering a reward of up to $1000 for information leading to the arrest of the burglary suspect. Anyone with information about this crime is urged to contact CrimeStoppers at 358-TIPS (8477). Police say all calls are anonymous and the identity of the individual who provides the information does not have to be revealed to collect a reward.