Second Man Arrested in Linn Street Armed Home Invasion, Accused of Pistol-Whipping Victim

An Iowa City man is facing several felony charges after he was arrested for robbing victims at gunpoint at 221 N. Linn St. on Wednesday afternoon.

According to Iowa City Police criminal complaints, Devon Montreal Ware, 24, of Iowa City is accused of robbing the residence with Nicholas Crews Garner, 19, of North Liberty who was arrested before him. Police say they arrested Ware in Wilton on Friday.

The robbery, near the University of Iowa campus, also triggered a Hawk Alert on Wednesday.

Police say Garner and Ware burst into the residence without permission at approximately 4:11 p.m. on Wednesday, with Ware armed with a handgun. The two began demanding money and the location of the residents' belongings.

Garner then allegedly became involved in a physical confrontation with one of the two residents. Ware then came to Garner's aid, allegedly pistol whipping the unidentified victim several times in the head. The man received a cut to his hand and a laceration to his head during the fight.

Ware and Garner allegedly robbed the victims of shoes, cell phones, wallets, and a backpack during the incident. Ware was identified following his arrest by both residents in a photo lineup as being the man who had been armed with the pistol and committed the assault.

Ware is being held in the Muscatine County Jail on $105,000 bail. He also has a detainer on his arrest in Delaware County according to online jail records. Online court records do not show that Ware as having been formally charged with a crime in Delaware County. He has, however, accrued several misdemeanor convictions in Johnson County.

Ware was charged with First-Degree Robbery, a Class B felony; First-Degree Burglary, a Class B felony; Assault while Committing a Felony, a Class D Felony; Going Armed with Intent, a Class D felony; and unauthorized use of a credit card, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Garner, 19, was charged with Going Armed with Intent, a Class D Felony; Assault While Participating in a Felony, a Class D Felony; First-Degree Burglary, a Class B Felony; and First-Degree Robbery, a Class B Felony; and a separate felony drug charge. He is being held in the Johnson County Jail on $121,000 combined bail. 

Police are still looking for the wherabouts of the pistol. Anyone with information about this incident, including the whereabouts of the handgun, is encouraged to contact the Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers at 358-TIPS (8477). All calls are confidential and the identity of the caller does not need to be revealed to collect the reward.

Previous Coverage

The Iowa City Police Department is still pursuing one of two suspects after an arrest was made in an armed robbery of 221 N. Linn Street on Wednesday afternoon.

According to a police media release, two men entered a residence at the above address armed with a handgun and demanded money. Some form of altercation happened between the resident and the two men and then they fled from the scene with an undisclosed amount of money and property.

The robbery, near the University of Iowa campus, also triggered a Hawk Alert on Wednesday.

One suspect was located and identified as Nicholas Garner of North Liberty. Garner was charged with Going Armed with Intent, a Class D Felony; Assault While Participating in a Felony, a Class D felony; First-degree Burglary, a Class B Felony; and First-Degree Robbery, a Class B Felony. The second suspect, described as a large black male, remains at large. 

From the Iowa City Police Daily Activity Log, the other man has been described as going by the name "Fat Boy."

OCCURRED 15 MINUTES - 6^1" WHT MALE NAMED NICHOLAS GARNER AND ANOTHER ONE IS LARGE BLK MALE NAMED "FAT BOY - HAD A SILVER SMALL GUN - LEFT ON FOOT WB DUBUQUE