During the early morning hours of December 26, between approximately 12:27 a.m. and 1:47 a.m., the Ottumwa Police Department received multiple calls regarding a noise complaint in the 200 block of East Manning Street.
According to court documents, Robert Ekwall, 53, of Ottumwa, allegedly started his vehicle and repeatedly revved the engine for an extended period of time. The vehicle was described as extremely loud, reportedly due to a faulty exhaust system or the absence of one altogether.
The criminal complaint states that Ekwall intentionally caused loud and raucous noise in the vicinity of a neighbor’s residence, resulting in unreasonable distress to the victim. A second neighbor also reported being disturbed by the noise that same night.
Law enforcement reports indicate that the victims provided a total of 13 videos documenting similar incidents involving Ekwall on various dates and at different times.
A warrant was served on Ekwall on January 5. He is currently being held in the Wapello County Jail on a $3,000 cash or surety bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for January 30.
Ekwall is charged with disorderly conduct — loud and raucous noise, a simple misdemeanor.
