![[Spencer Daily Reporter nameplate]](http://www.spencerdailyreporter.com/images/nameplate.png)
RSS
Print
Email link
Respond to editor
Post comment
Share link
Facebook
Twitter
del.icio.us
Digg
StumbleUpon
Technorati
Newsvine
Reddit
GoogleIn some instances this fall, additional charges surfaced following the traffic investigation. In each case the driver in question was held and schedule to appear before a magistrate. Some posted bond.
"A lot of these people we know," said Clay County Sheriff Randy Krukow. "We get notices when they are going under suspension."
It is not unusual for the sheriff's office will get tips from acquaintances of the driver who know the person shouldn't be behind the wheel, according to Krukow.
"We'll check on it and either they do or they don't," he said. "So we familiarize ourselves with those because we're all paying for those people that continue to drive without insurance."
Krukow doesn't see the issue of unlicensed, uninsured drivers as a seasonal problem, saying, "this goes on all year long."
"When we're doing what we're supposed to be do, out there patrolling, you just run across them," Krukow said. "We often know where they work, so we're keeping an eye open."
Here's a summary of recent traffic stops associated with drivers who have had their driving privileges revoked but were suspected of driving anyway. Law enforcement agencies note that a criminal charge is merely an accusation and people involved are assumed innocent until proven guilty:
Danielle Burgin, 20, Hartley, was arrested at 8:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in the 500 block of West 18th Street on two charges of interference with official acts and one charge of driving while license suspended. She was brought to the Spencer Police Department, processed and turned over to Clay County Jailer.
Michael Phillip Banks, 28, Chicago, was charged with failure to have a valid driver's license and failure to have proof of insurance following a stop at 3:14 a.m. Friday, Oct. 10, in the 4500 block of Highway 71.
Also on Oct. 10, deputies charged 27-year-old Joaquin Acosta-Ruiz of Spencer with driving while suspended in the 700 block of Grand Avenue in Spencer. Deputies made the traffic stop after learning the female occupant of the vehicle was missing out of Storm Lake.
Ruiz was transported to the Clay County Jail where he was booked for driving while suspended. He was later released on bond. The passenger was also transported to the jail, where she was later contacted by family members.
The following day, on Oct. 11, Kimberly Sue Engler, 27, Le Mars, was charged with driving while suspended at 9:25 p.m. in the 1000 block of Highway 18. She was released on bond.
A Clay County Deputy initiated a traffic stop at 10:41 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the 300 block of West Eighth Street in Spencer because the deputy had prior knowledge that the registered owner of the vehicle didn't have a valid drivers license. Upon investigation, it was found that the registered owner of the vehicle wasn't driving but 24-year-old Roberto Gonzalez of Spencer was. Upon further investigation, it was found that Gonzalez had a suspended drivers license and no proof of insurance. He was placed under arrest and was transported to the Clay County Jail without incident. He was released on bond.
Leodegario Marcos-Anacleto, 22, Spencer, was charged on Oct. 17, with driving under suspension at 2:40 a.m. in the 200 block of Grand Avenue in Spencer. Again, a Clay County deputy initiated a traffic stop with having prior knowledge that the registered owner of the vehicle didn't have a valid driver's license. Upon investigation, it was found that the registered owner of the vehicle wasn't driving but Marcos-Anacleto was. He was placed under arrest and was transported to the Clay County Jail without incident. Marcos-Anacleto was charged with driving under suspension and for no proof of insurance. He was released on bond.
In a separate incident on Oct. 17, deputies also took Jesus Arizmendi, 19, Sheldon, into custody for driving using a license that has been suspended. He was traveling at 9:41 p.m. in the 1400 block of Highway 18 when he was pulled over for a routine traffic stop. Arizmendi was transported to the Clay County Jail and booked.
Deputies placed 37-year-old Noe Flores under arrest for driving while barred and no proof of insurance at 4:49 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, in the Dyno's parking lot in downtown Spencer. Flores was held in jail to appear before a magistrate.
On Oct. 23, deputies charged 48-year-old Sherri Weber of Spencer with driving under a suspended license, no proof of insurance and for operating a vehicle without a registration. She was stopped at 11:05 p.m. in the 300 block of Tompkins Court in Spencer and was transported to the Clay County Jail. She was released on bond.
Deputies stopped 35-year-old Gregorio Gomez-Perez of Estherville for speeding at 11:48 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, in the 4500 block of Highway 71. The Deputy also learned Gomez-Perez did not have a driver's license or insurance for the vehicle. A search of the vehicle turned up two open containers of alcohol. The passenger a Pedro Ruiz Morales was cited for having an open container of alcohol and was released. Gomez-Perez was booked in for no drivers license, no insurance, and an open container. He was released on a $550 bond.
Rogelio Martinez-Altamirano, 44, Spencer, was charged with no driver's license and no proof of insurance following an Oct. 29 traffic stop in the 3900 block of Highway 71. Deputies stopped the vehicle knowing the registered owner was barred from driving. The registered owner was not driving, but Martinez-Altamirano also wasn't eligible to drive. He was released on bond.
Deputies charged Robert Morfitt, 35, Hartley with driving under suspension at 10:09 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, in the 1100 block of county road B-24. A Clay County Deputy initiated a traffic stop on Morfitt's vehicle for an equipment violation and with having prior knowledge that the registered owner of the vehicle had a suspended drivers license. Morfitt was placed under arrest and was transported to the Clay County Jail without incident. He was charged with driving under suspension and operation without registration, both are simple misdemeanors. He was released on bond.
A traffic stop on the early morning of Friday, Oct. 31, landed two Alta men in the Clay County Jail on interference and traffic charges. At approximately 12:44 a.m. a Clay County Deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for a traffic violation.
Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputy noticed a lot of movement by the occupants in the vehicle. Upon investigation, the deputy noticed an open container of beer on the front passenger side of the vehicle and then had the subjects exit the vehicle. The deputy then conducted a search of the vehicle and found another open container on the rear passenger side floor.
The deputy initially identified the driver as Armando Ornelas-Patino, 28, of Alta. Ornelas-Patino didn't have a valid drivers license and was placed under arrest. The deputy then cited and released Francisco Maldonado, 25, Alta, and Victor Lara, 22, Storm Lake, for open containers. Ornelas-Patino was then transported to the Clay County jail.
As a deputy continued to look into the traffic stop he learned that Ornelas-Patino was not driving the vehicle and that he switched places with Maldonado. Ornelas-Patino was then turned over to the jailer to be booked in for interference with official acts, a simple misdemeanor.
The deputy met with Maldonado at about midnight on Nov. 1. at the Clay County Jail and he was then placed under arrest. Maldonado was charged with failure to have a valid drivers license, no proof of insurance, excessive speed by radar (81 in a 65 mph zone), and for interference with official acts, all simple misdemeanors. Both men posted a $300 cash bond and were released with a court date.
Benjamin Hintz, 18, Spencer, was charged with driving while revoked and failure to maintain control at 6:16 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3, in the 300 block of Ninth Street Southwest in Spencer. Deputies had been investigating a vehicle rollover at the intersection of 330th Avenue and 410th Street and believed Hintz was driving the vehicle on a revoked drivers license. Hintz was located at a residence in Spencer and was placed under arrest. Hintz was transported to the Clay county Jail without incident.
Antonio Ramirez-Duran, 27, Mallard was charged with failure to have a driver's license following a stop at 12:18 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, in the 3700 block of county road N14. A Clay County deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with having prior knowledge that the registered owner didn't have a valid drivers license. Upon investigation, it was found that the registered owner wasn't driving the vehicle but his brother was. Upon further investigation, it was found that Ramirez-Duran also did not have a drivers license. Ramirez-Duran was placed under arrest and was transported to the Clay County Jail without incident. He was released on bond.
Deputies stopped 18-year-old Andrew Hoogeterp of Spencer with driving while barred at 11:03 a.m. Friday, Nov. 7, in the 300 block of West Seventh Street in Spencer. Authorities had knowledge that the passenger in the vehicle didn't have a drivers license and had just been seen operating a vehicle. Hoogeterp was placed under arrest and was transported to the Clay County Jail without incident. Hoogeterp was charged with driving while barred, an aggravated misdemeanor, and for the driving under suspension violation.
Deputies also stopped 39-year-old Amy Meyer of Spencer just after 11 a.m. on Nov. 7. She was charged with driving under suspension for non-payment of four Iowa fines and placed under arrest. Meyer transported to the Clay County Jail without incident and was released on bond. Authorities made the traffic stop in the 500 block of Third Avenue West in Spencer.
Matthew McKibben, 21, Rembrandt, was charged with driving while revoked and excessive speed at 10:39 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, in the 2500 block of 480th Street. Deputies pulled McKibben over for a traffic violation and learned he was violating a work permit. He was transported to Clay County Jail, and later released on bond without incident.
Deputies charged 31-year-old Jesus Bueno Jr., otherwise known as Joaquin Loera-Villegas, of Spencer was pulled over at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, in the 300 block of East Eighth Street in Spencer. He was transported to the Clay County Jail for failure to have a valid driver's license. Upon further investigation, it was determined that Loera-Villegas used a false name and that his real name was Jesus Bueno Jr. Bueno Jr. was found to have a revoked and suspended drivers license. He was also charged with driving under suspension, no proof of insurance, and interference with official acts, all simple misdemeanors.
Jose Julio Sandoval, 31, Spencer, was arrested for not having a drivers license at 3:55 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, in the 500 block of South Grand Avenue. He was transported to the Clay County Jail without incident and held to appear before a magistrate.
At about 8:08 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, the Clay County Communication Center for Law Enforcement received a complaint of a vehicle driving in an erratic manor. The information was then dispatched to officers and a deputy on patrol observed the vehicle in question on Highway 18 east of the intersection of 10th Avenue Southeast in Spencer. Upon investigation deputies arrested the driver of the vehicle Luis Antonio Rodriguez Acosta of Spencer for no drivers license, and no proof of insurance. He posted bond and was released.
A passenger in the vehicle, Luis Rodriguez-Luna of Le Mars, was also found to be wanted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for federal deportation. Rodriguez-Luna was detained for federal authorities. Assisting in the investigation was the Spencer Police Department.
Deputies charged 18-year-old Latasha Smith of Webb with driving while suspended at 10:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in the 100 block of Third Avenue East in Webb. A deputy was patrolling in Webb and had prior knowledge that Smith did not have a valid driver's license. The deputy stopped Smith and verified that in fact Smith's license was suspended for non payment of Iowa fines. Smith was then arrested and taken to the Clay County jail were she posted a $300 cash bond and was released with a pending court date.
Antonio Gonzales, 49, Spencer, was charged following a stop at 8:05 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, in the 100 block of West 17th Street. A Clay County Deputy initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with having prior knowledge that the registered did not have a drivers license. The registered owner wasn't driving but Gonzales was. He was placed under arrest and was transported to the Clay County Jail with incident for driving under suspension and no proof of insurance. He was released on bond.
Tammy Jo Meyeraan, 35, Spencer, was arrested at 2:07 a.m. Monday in the 10 block of East Third Street for driving under suspension and no insurance. She was transported to Spencer Police Department, processed and turned over to the Clay County Jailer.