GRINNELL – Three men were arrested near Grinnell after authorities responded to a motorist assist call on Saturday.
According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the call came in on November 15 at approximately 3:12pm regarding motorists in the 14700 block of Highway 6 East. Upon arrival, a deputy found a bulldozer and a pickup truck on the shoulder facing the wrong way against traffic.
Three males were at the scene, later identified as 53-year-old Michael Pearson, 57-year-old Charles Loudermilk, and 73-year-old Michael Provin. Further investigation revealed that the steel tracked bulldozer had traveled from northeast of Newton on county roads and state highways, causing a significant amount of damage. Authorities say that numerous items located in the pickup truck were discovered to be missing property from a burglary that was reported at a construction site north of Kellogg.
With the assistance of the Grinnell Police Department and the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, a search warrant was then executed at 103 East Street in Grinnell, where Loudermilk was known to be a resident. During the execution of that warrant, additional items listed as missing from the burglary were recovered, and loaded handguns were recovered from Loudermilk’s pickup truck.
As a result of this incident and ensuing investigations, all three men are facing charges.
Provin was charged with a total of four misdemeanors, including driving while suspended for non-payment of Iowa Fine (simple misdemeanor), driving while suspended for incapable of operating a motor vehicle safely (simple misdemeanor), failure to have SR-22 insurance of file as required (simple misdemeanor), and driving while barred (aggravated misdemeanor). He was then released to appear in court at a later date.
Loudermilk was charged with a total of four felonies, including 2nd degree burglary (class C felony), 2nd degree theft (class D felony), and two counts of control of a firearm as a felon (class D felony). He’s being held in the Jasper County Jail on a $20,000 bond, with pending charges related to traffic and criminal mischief for the damages done to the county and state roads with the bulldozer.
Pearson was charged with the same four felonies as Loudermilk, in addition to violation of probation warrant and possession of drug paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor). He is being held in the Jasper County Jail on no bond.
