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Burglary thwarted in Villisca by an observant citizen

News

November 22nd, 2020 by Ric Hanson

A person who saw some individuals leaving from a building and into an alley in Villisca, early Saturday morning, thwarted a burglary in progress. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at around 6-a.m., a person passing by saw four individuals exiting a building into the alley at 327 E 4th Street, the site of the Jones Store and former Museum in Villisca. The citizen called authorities and detained a juvenile male until Law Enforcement arrived.

An investigation resulted in the arrest of 18-year-old Drake L. O’Briant, of Villisca, and three male juveniles (ages 12, 13, and 16). Each was charged with Burglary in the 3rd Degree, a Class D Felony. The three juveniles were subsequently released to the custody of parents, while O’Briant was being was held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says their personnel are thankful for the actions of the passerby that allowed the crime to be cleared by arrest, but at the same time, the advise others against directly confronting individuals suspected of a crime, “as it may be detrimental to one’s personal safety.”