A raft of pending charges is piling up against the Jefferson man arrested late Saturday night when he crashed a stolen vehicle near Granger while pursued by an officer of the Woodward Police Department.
It was the fourth vehicle allegedly stolen that night by Kayden Allen Nelson, 18, of 102 S. Grimmel Road, #27, Jefferson, and Nelson stole the first few vehicles in the company of two juvenile males, according to Madrid Police Department Chief Rick Tasler.
“Four vehicles were stolen in total,” Tasler said, “and the chase started by the Iowa State Patrol way before it got to Woodward.”
Tasler reconstructed the timeline of the crimes while emphasizing that the joint investigation is still ongoing by the Iowa State Patrol, Madrid Police Department, Woodward Police Department and Dallas County Sheriff’s office.
The incident allegedly began on Zook Spur Road in northeast Dallas County south of Madrid, where Nelson and his accomplices stole their first vehicle and drove it into Madrid.
“That’s where the initial vehicle was stolen,” Tasler said, “and it came into town. Then they stole another vehicle. It got into a wreck here in town, so my officer was on the hit-and-run accident. That vehicle left. He left on foot, went and stole another vehicle after burglarizing several other vehicles as he was running to find another vehicle that was opened. He blew one vehicle up that he stole, and then he actually went and stole another vehicle, and that’s the vehicle that he got in a chase with the Iowa State Patrol out here on (Iowa Highway) 210 that went into Woodward and then ended over by Granger.”
The second stolen vehicle was involved in a head-on collision on Iowa Highway 17, according to Tasler. No injuries were reported in the collision.
“He ran on foot and stole another vehicle,” Tasler said. “He blew that up a couple of blocks from where he stole it. He pumped all the engine oil out of the car. Then he stole the vehicle that got into the chase.”
According to Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla, his agency is investigating that part of the incident in which Nelson, in the fourth and final stolen vehicle, allegedly “struck two mailboxes and a culvert in the front yard of 1695 334th Road” before fleeing westward on Iowa Highway 210 toward Woodward.
Reaching Woodward, Nelson’s vehicle was pursued by a Woodward Police Department patrol vehicle, and the chase ended shortly before midnight on Iowa Highway 141 at Wendover Avenue north of Granger, where Nelson crashed the 1999 Buick owned by Ron and Mary Berg of Madrid.
“Same person, different vehicles. It’s a cluster,” Tasler said.
Nelson was accompanied during part of the crime spree by two males.
“There were two other suspects,” Tasler said, “but we can’t release their names because they’re both juveniles, one 15-year-old and one 16-year-old.” He said a Madrid Police Officer “located the two juveniles, and he had those over here at the time the chase was going on. They kind of split up.”
Tasler said a clearer picture will emerge once the investigation is complete and charges are filed.
“We’ve already interviewed the juveniles and got their side,” he said. “We have not talked to the adult yet, but we’ve got the juveniles’ statements. We’ll have lots of charges for the guy that’s in custody in Dallas County. We’ll have several counts for him, and then we’ll be charging the juveniles as well.”
Nelson so far faces Woodward Police Department charges of eluding, first-offense OWI, possession of a controlled substance and interference with officials acts after trying to outrun the patrol car.
The Dallas County EMS was paged to examine Nelson Saturday night before he was transported to the Dallas County Jail by the Woodward Police Department.
Nelson is currently held on a $1,000 cash or surety bond, and he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 6 in Dallas County District Court.
Nelson is also awaiting trial in Carroll County District Court in connection with his arrest July 13 on charges of possession of a controlled substance-alprazolam, assault on a peace officer and minor in possession of alcohol. He also awaits trial in Carroll County District Court in connection with his arrest Aug. 10 on a charge of fifth-degree theft.
ThePerryNews.com will update this story as information becomes available.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
