Hunter
09/23/22
An area transient has been arrested on an outstanding warrant stemming from an alleged incident where he broke into an Iowa City residence and stole women’s underwear.
According to the criminal complaint, the Bowery Street residents set up a surveillance camera in the basement of the house, next to a washing machine and dryer. A little after 6am on September 7th , 27-year-old Jerome Brooks was observed entering the basement and looking around. The video shows him then noticing a laundry basket on top of the dryer, which he rummages through. Brooks reportedly removes several pairs of women’s underwear, smells them, and puts them in his pocket. The victims, who were home at the time, reported having three pairs of underwear and one t-shirt stolen.
A warrant was issued for Brooks’ arrest earlier this week.
Brooks was also wanted for allegedly trying to pass a fake $100 bill at Bruegger’s on Iowa Avenue the morning of September 13th in front of a police officer. A subsequent search allegedly turned up a proximity card belonging to the University of Iowa Parking Division, provided to employees to access parking structures. The staff member associated with the card said it had been stolen from him in an automobile burglary earlier in the day.
Brooks is charged with 3rd degree Burglary for the Bowery Street incident, and 3rd degree Theft for the incident on the 13th. If convicted on all counts, Brooks could be sentenced to up to 9 years in prison.
Brooks has been charged in several incidents over the past two months, including using stolen credit cards in multiple locations, stealing an electric bike and hiding it in his residence, burglarizing a vehicle, and using a card obtained in that burglary. In March of this year, Brooks was charged with Domestic Abuse causing Injury, False Imprisonment, Violation of a No Contact Order, and Child Endangerment causing Bodily Injury. In a plea deal, Brooks received a deferred judgement and a year’s probation, with some charges dismissed.
