Crime & Safety
Police: Woman Left Children Home Alone While Burglarizing Homes to Fund Drug Addiction
Police detaining a man near the scene of a reported attempted burglary led to the arrest of the woman who is allegedly responsible for a string of burglaries in Iowa City.
An Iowa City woman is facing a series of charges after she was allegedly caught burglarizing multiple homes in Iowa City.
According to Iowa City police criminal complaints, police officers responded at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday to 1401 Keokuk Street for the report of a woman with red hair who had attempted to gain access to a home there. During a search of the area officers encountered a man, Shane Christopher Wright, 24, of Iowa City who they also determined may have been involved in the crime.
When they questioned Wright about what was in a backpack he was holding, Wright cooperated and showed them the contents, which included black spoons and syringes that he eventually conceded were used for heroin, according to the complaint. While talking with Wright, officers had already arrived at his home to wait for what they suspected would be the female burglar.
Police then arrested Teryn Elizabeth Netz, 26, at her and Wright's home at 1100 Arthur Street. It was determined that Netz and Wright are the parents of three children aged 4, 8, and 9 who they had allegedly left at home alone on Thursday while Netz allegedly attempted to burglarize the homes.
Netz was charged with attempted burglary for the Keokuk Street incident, and was also alleged to have burglarized homes on Langenburg Avenue and Laurel Street on June 21 and July 23 respectively.
According to the complaint, police found connection to Netz breaking into the residences, stealing jewelry from within, and selling the items to a local gold buying business. Netz was allegedly caught on the business' security camera selling the items, and some of the items and other connections to the residence were found there.
Netz allegedly admitted to officers that she had committed several burglaries to fund her addiction to heroin. She also allegedly confessed to leaving the children at home alone and doing drugs in their presence.
Netz was arrested and charged with two counts of third degree burglary, a Class D felony; second-degree theft, a Class D felony; fourth-degree theft, a serious misdemeanor; and child endangerment with no injury, an aggravated misdemeanor. Wright was arrested and charged with child endangerment with no injury and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was charged and released on Friday.
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