An Ottumwa man is facing charges in both Jefferson County and Wapello County following an alleged vehicle theft in Jefferson County on Wednesday afternoon, according to a press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
At 2:24 p.m. on June 3rd, the Jefferson County Communications Center received a call from a county resident reporting their blue Hyundai Elantra had been stolen and located within the Fairfield city limits. Security footage showed the vehicle being taken from the resident’s home east of Batavia at approximately 2:09 p.m. The victim received an alert on their phone that their vehicle was pinging near the Scooter’s parking lot in Fairfield, which connects to the Bomgaars parking lot where deputies ultimately located the unoccupied vehicle with the keys still inside, according to court documents.
Also missing from the vehicle were the victim’s wallet — containing cash, various identification, and a debit card — as well as a hat and sunglasses, according to court documents. The victim estimated the value of the stolen vehicle at over $30,000.
Less than a mile from where the Hyundai had been abandoned, deputies found another abandoned vehicle. A check of that vehicle’s license plate revealed it had been reported stolen out of Ottumwa earlier in the day. The Ottumwa Police Department already had a person of interest in connection with that stolen vehicle.
At 4:34 p.m., law enforcement was dispatched to Goodwill after employees reported a male subject inside the store who was wanted in connection with a stolen vehicle and an assault out of Ottumwa. When deputies made contact with the subject, he refused to identify himself and provided two false names — Joshua Paul Smith and Dewey Ray Smith — before being positively identified through a driver’s license photo as Peter Serrer, 51, of Ottumwa, according to court documents. A search of his person and property revealed the victim’s identification, cards, and sunglasses taken from the stolen Hyundai, as well as items linked to the Ottumwa stolen vehicle.
In Jefferson County, Serrer was charged with Theft in the First Degree of a Motor Vehicle, a Class C Felony, and Interference with Official Acts, a simple misdemeanor. In Wapello County, Serrer is facing Burglary in the First Degree, a Class B Felony; Theft in the Second Degree of a Motor Vehicle, a Class D Felony; Domestic Abuse Assault — Display or Use of a Weapon, an aggravated misdemeanor; and Violation of a No Contact Order, a simple misdemeanor.
Serrer is being held on cash or surety bond of $10,000 in Jefferson County. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 15th. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Fairfield Police Department.
Edited with additional information from court documents.
