Maybe Accused Burglar Should Have Taken Wooden Nickels

Note to burglars everywhere: Given the choice, you may be better off taking wooden nickels rather than the one that an Iowa City man is accused of pilfering.

A wooden nickel won't get you much, but the one stolen from an Iowa City business could get the alleged burglar some time behind bars.

say they responded to the report of a burglary earlier this week. Officers at the scene found that someone had apparently tried to pry a back door open.

Soon after, Nathan Lee Burgs, 55, of 424 South Johnson Street, Iowa City was stopped by police while riding on his bike on a public street with no light, according to a criminal complaint. Burgs was allegedly asked for identification and he replied that he didn't have any, when he tried to bike away the officer stopped him again.

Before he was initially stopped, Burgs allegedly threw an object to the ground. When this item was recovered, police say they discovered a stocking cap containing a bandana tied off as a mask, gloves a screwdriver, scouring pad, and metal tire gauge.

That could be damning enough.

Then the victim of one of a burglary said the tire pressure gauge and screwdriver may have came from his unlocked garage, according to the complaint. A crime scene technician marked the screwdriver head to marks at one of the doors.

Burgs denied that the object had been in his possession.

Meanwhile, police responded to another burglary at Every Bloomin' Thing, 2 Rocky Shore Drive. Among the items taken in the burglary was $10.23 in change, and an employee of the store said that one of the nickels taken was a unique coin with punchmarks in it.

Guess where police found that?

Burgs allegedly had $20.33 in change in his possession upon his arrest -- and one of these coins was that same unique nickel later positively identified by a Bloomin' Thing employee, police said.

Burgs now faces two charges of third-degree burglary, attempted second-degree burglary (all Class D felonies); third-degree criminal mischief, an aggravated misdemeanor, for damage to the doors; possession of burglars tools; interference with official acts and littering, both minor misdemeanors.