(Ottumwa, Iowa) — Sheriff’s officials in southeast Iowa’s Wapello County report, that after a months-long, multi-state investigation led by the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, a suspect was arrested in the burglaries of at least 16 school districts across Iowa and Missouri, including the Sidney High School, in Fremont County, Iowa, during the early morning hours of March 15, 2025.  The operation highlights the power of proactive investigative work, interagency collaboration, and strategic use of technology. The case began on February 2, 2025, when the Cardinal Community School District in Wapello County reported break-ins at its Elementary, Middle, and High School buildings. The burglar caused extensive property damage and stole over $4,000 in cash. Despite early efforts, initial leads were scarce.

Sidney HS burglary suspect photo

Rather than allowing the case to go cold, Wapello County investigators escalated their approach. Investigators applied for and executed advanced technical search warrants not typically used in standard property crime cases. Working closely with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Intelligence & Fusion Center, Wapello County began analyzing key digital evidence that would ultimately crack the case wide open. As the investigation progressed, reports of similar burglaries at schools across Missouri and southwest Iowa began to surface. Recognizing the broader pattern, Wapello County investigators took the lead in coordinating with multiple jurisdictions to pool data and track the suspect’s movements. Their analysis led to the development of a detailed suspect profile, which pointed to an individual living in Jacksonville, Arkansas.

Curtis Lee Barton booking photo

While conducting a thorough background investigation of the suspect it was discovered that he is currently on parole stemming from a previous conviction for burglarizing numerous schools and small businesses across central Missouri in 2018. Wapello County investigators prepared search warrant applications for the suspect’s known residences in Jacksonville and Sherwood, Arkansas, and worked with the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division to secure search warrants through the Arkansas courts. On Tuesday, April 29, a joint operation involving Wapello County Deputies, Arkansas State Police, and the Lewis County (MO) Sheriff’s Office executed the warrants.

The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Curtis Lee Barton, was taken into custody without incident. Evidence recovered at the scene directly links Barton to the burglaries. He is currently being held at the South Pulaski County Jail in Little Rock, Arkansas, on a $100,000 cash-only bond, pending extradition and further legal proceedings. To date, Barton is suspected in the burglary of approximately 14 school districts in Missouri and 2 in Iowa, including Cardinal Community Schools. Multiple Additional burglaries involving small businesses are also being reviewed in connection to this case and our office is providing pertinent information to the agencies investigating cases within their jurisdiction.

The investigation remains active, and additional charges are expected as both local and federal law enforcement continues to review new reports connected to the case. Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office.