Wanted thief arrested after wielding sword Sunday afternoon
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally appeared in the July 21 edition of the Jefferson Herald.
A wanted thief was detained Sunday morning after allegedly displaying a sword and threatening to kill a citizen outside of a home in Grand Junction, according to court documents.
Richard Keller, 41, was arrested on multiple charges of theft as well as possession of methamphetamine and carrying a dangerous weapon at 12:45 p.m. July 17. Greene County sheriff Jack Williams, a sheriff’s deputy and an Iowa State trooper made the arrest after being tipped off of Keller’s whereabouts following reports of a man yelling and swinging a sword in the 1000 block of E. Railroad Street.
Keller allegedly threatened threatened to kill a woman before departing on a bicycle shortly after 12:30 p.m. Law enforcement arrived on scene around 1 p.m. and attempted to make contact with the victim, but to no success. Officers then spotted Keller a few minutes later traveling along 19th Street toward Railroad Street.
Court documents say officers stopped Keller and found a sword on his person on public property. A ziplock baggie of a substance believed to be meth was also found during an ensuing search. Officers arrested Keller for two outstanding warrants as well as for the controlled substance charge, third offense and a weapons charge.
Keller originally arrived on law enforcement’s radar around March 24 after allegedly breaking into a garage on Sandoe Street in Grand Junction and stealing a weed eater, valued at $100.
Court documents say officers found a broken padlock on the ground outside of the garage and determined only the orange and black weed eater was missing.
Several months passed before Greene County sheriff’s deputies searched a residence at 807 East Hager Street on July 1. Mark Morrow is living at the address and agreed to a search. The deputies located a weed eater, which Morrow said was given to him by Keller. The same weed eater was also identified as the stolen appliance from March.
Keller was thusly charged with third degree burglary.
Keller was at it again a few days later after his initial theft, this time allegedly stealing donated monies from the Grand Junction Casey’s on March 28, court documents say. Security cameras show a man believed to be Keller placing his right hand on a “red and black object” – a donation jar for a citizen recuperating from a house fire – and hiding it inside his jacket shortly before 9 p.m. The jar, located in the kitchen, was believed to have less than $300 inside. Keller was charged with fifth degree theft, his second theft charge in a week.
Keller had not been arrested until Sunday.