Grinnell man arrested in Dexter on drug, child endangerment charges

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Collin Matthew Leffel, 21, of no fixed abode was arrested Friday on a Story County warrant and was charged with child endangerment-no injury, second-offense possession of a controlled substance-not marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

A Grinnell man who escaped Feb. 24 from a Marshall County residential correctional facility was arrested in Dexter Friday afternoon on drug and child endangerment charges

Collin Matthew Leffel, 21, of 1933 Penrose St., Grinnell, was arrested by the Dallas County Sheriff’s office on a Story County warrant and was also charged with child endangerment-no injury, second-offense possession of a controlled substance-not marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

An arrest warrant was issued Feb. 26 in Story County District Court after Leffel walked away from a community-based residential facility in Marshalltown.

The incident Friday began about 2:30 p.m. outside a convenience store in Dexter, where a Dallas County Deputy Sheriff recognized Leffel as a passenger inside a pickup truck, and the deputy knew Leffel “active warrants for his arrest,” according to court records.

A traffic stop ensued. After the deputy allegedly found drug paraphernalia inside Leffel’s backpack, a probable-cause search was conducted of the pickup truck, which was driven by a female and also occupied by a 3-year-old child and a 1-year-old child.

According to court records, the deputy located a diaper bag “on the back driver’s side floor board (directly in front of the children and within their reach).” Along with child-appropriate items in the bag was “a blue-colored case.”

A search of the case disclosed “two pill canisters, containing a white crystal substance” that “later field tested positive for methamphetamine,” a white-colored glass smoking pipe containing residue and other paraphernalia items.”

Leffel is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $5,300 cash or surety bond. He made an initial appearance Saturday in Dallas County District Court.

Leffel was convicted on third-degree burglary and violation of probation on an original charge of forgery in November 2019 in Story County District Court. Leffel was arrested on charges of first-offense possession of a controlled substance-marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and fifth-degree theft in October 2019, but the charges were dismissed in Story County District Court.

*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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