05.31.10 - According to Buena Vista Co Sheriff Gary Launderville the Sheriff’s Office and Storm Lake Police Dept. responded to a single vehicle rollover accident approximately 1 mile northwest of Storm Lake at 2:45 PM on May 30. The caller advised of two people trapped in the vehicle and at least one with serious injuries. Upon arrival of officers on the scene, both injured parties were extricated from the vehicle without the use of mechanical means. The driver of the vehicle, 13 year Jasmin Mellin of Storm Lake sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from BVRMC. A passenger in the vehicle, 24 yr old Carlos Borjes of Denison was transported by ambulance to BVRMC with multiple injuries and was later life flighted to a Sioux City hospital. The 13 yr old lost control on a county gravel road (100th Ave) and entered the ditch rolling the vehicle over on its top. Charges are pending against both the driver and the passenger. The investigation continues.
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05.27.10 - According to Buena Vista County Sheriff Gary Launderville, a traffic accident involving a motor vehicle and bicycle has lead to the fatality of a Laurens man age 50.
On May 26, 2010 at approximately 8:00 p.m., a traffic accident occurred on Hwy 10 approximately 3 ½ miles east of Marathon.
The Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol responded to an accident involving a passenger car and a bicycle on the highway. Responding as well, to the accident was the Laurens fire department and the Laurens ambulance service. The male person on the bicycle was transported by ambulance to Pocahontas regional hospital in Pocahontas, IA where he was later pronounced dead. A preliminary investigation of the accident indicates that a bicycle being ridden by the deceased was west bound when it was struck by a vehicle that was west bound on Hwy 10 driven by Kelsey Fredricks age 18 of Marathon, IA. Indicators are that both the bicycle and the vehicle were both west bound into the sun as it was setting and that the motor vehicle was unable to see the bicycle due to the blinding sunlight coming from the west. The driver of the motor vehicle was not injured in the accident. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and will be released approximately 4:00p.m. on this date. Also assisting at the scene was the Laurens police and the Pocahontas County Sheriff’s department.
UPDATE: The name of the deceased man involved in the accident has been identified at Alan Peterson, age 50 of Laurens, IA.
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05.11.20 - According to Buena Vista County Sheriff Gary Launderville following an investigation in controlled substances, a Sioux Rapids man has been charged with possession of controlled substances.
On February 11, 2010 during the course of an assault investigation being conducted by the Storm Lake Police Department, a search warrant was executed by officers’ of the Storm Lake Police Department as well as the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office. This search warrant was executed at 1668 440th St. rural route Sioux Rapids, IA. During the course of the execution of the search warrant a quantity of suspected controlled substances was seized as evidence. Following inquiry by DCI lab in Des Moines possession of controlled substances have been filed against Timothy Lee Humes, age 50 of Sioux Rapids, IA. Mr. Humes is charged with one count of controlled substance, a serious misdemeanor. Mr. Humes was brought to the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office where he was booked and released after his court appearance.
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3.24.10 - According to Buena Vista Co Sheriff Gary Launderville on Tuesday evening (March 23) a 911 call was received at 8:10 PM reporting that three men ice fishing on the west side of Storm Lake had fallen through the ice and were in distress. Buena Vista Co Deputies, Storm Lake Police and Fire personnel and BVRMC ambulance all responded to the area of the inlet. The three subjects were reported to be approximately 400 yards from shore and all three had fallen through the ice. Before arrival of rescue personnel, one of the three men had been able to pull back up onto the ice, removed his coveralls and used them as a rescue rope and pulled the other two from the water. As the three were then trying to make their way back to shore, they fell through the ice again. The three were able to again pull themselves back up onto the ice and were assisted back onto shore by two other ice fishermen nearby. All three were transported to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake for treatment of hypothermia. The three men were: Brian Origer and Dale Berger of Carroll, IA and Michael Berger of Westside, IA.
Sheriff Launderville would like to remind everyone of the safety concerns this time of year of being out on the ice. With warmer temperatures, the snow and ice has melted and refroze and is not as strong as the ice has been all winter. The ice may be 8 inches thick in one spot and a few feet away in may not be, which causes the risk of falling through. Launderville asks everyone to please stay off of the lake from this time forward as more of these same instances are sure to happen.
03.23.10 - According to the Buena Vista County Sheriff Gary Launderville, an investigation into official misconduct on the part of a Sioux Central School teacher has lead to the filing of charges against a Sioux Rapids man. On February 22, 2010 a report was made to the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office in regards to alleged misconduct on the part of a teacher at the Sioux Central School. This allegation was based upon a complaint of inappropriate contact by a male teacher and a minor female student. An investigation by the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office determined that 2 separate incidents had occurred where there had been inappropriate physical contact between the teacher and the female student at his residence located in Sioux Rapids, IA.
Following this investigation and with the cooperation of the Buena Vista County Attorney’s office, 2 counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee were filed against Steven Daniel Lindseth, age 24 of Sioux Rapids, IA.
In addition to the aforementioned charges, further investigation revealed that Mr. Lindseth was in possession of a loaded hand gun and was additionally charged with the charge of carrying a weapon upon school property, a Class D Felony and carrying a concealed weapon, an aggravated misdemeanor. The 2 counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee are both aggravated misdemeanors.
Mr. Lindseth was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail and released on bond.
03.21.10 - According to Buena Vista Co. Sheriff Gary Launderville the jail was very busy this past weekend from Saturday evening until Sunday evening booking in 29 people. Many of the people arrested in the early morning hours of March 22 were later released that day. Later that same evening, some of those released were re-arrested and brought back to jail again. Many of these bookings were a result of arrests by the Storm Lake Police Dept. from the disturbance on Lake Ave. early Sunday morning. Out of the 29 people booked, at some point 21 were released either by posting bond or by order of the magistrate. In just over a 24 hour period the jail had processed 50 people in and out. As of Monday morning, the jail population was at 22 inmates.
03.17.10
Within the past week, mailings have been sent out by the Iowa State Sheriff’s and Deputies Association (ISSDA )to residents of Buena Vista County. According to Buena Vista Co. Sheriff Gary Launderville, this is an organization that the entire Sheriff’s Office in Buena Vista County is a member of and benefits from . Honorary memberships are a vital part of the ISSDA and all Sheriff’s and Deputies in the State of Iowa appreciate the support from these memberships. The ISSDA does provide training and benefits to all 99 counties in the state. The return mailing address is not within Buena Vista County as the treasurer for the association lives in another part of the state
If you have received a letter in the mail asking for your support and honorary membership, it should have a letter signed by the Sheriff. This is the only solicitation ever done on a statewide basis by the ISSDA and it does benefit the local Sheriff’s Office.
The ISSDA does NOT do any solicitation by phone. Any phone solicitation you may receive claiming to benefit your local Sheriff’s Office is not a legitimate organization and your local Sheriff’s Office receives no benefit from these.
03.16.10
According to the Buena Vista County Sheriff Gary Launderville a two month long criminal investigation has resulted in the arrest of a rural route Storm Lake couple charged with numerous counts of invasion of privacy.
On January 31, 2010 the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a Darwin and Janelle Zoch of 5257 100th Ave Storm Lake, IA were possibly in possession of illegally obtained pornographic materials. It was further learned through the investigation that these materials consisted of several video tapes of men and women in the state of nudity while utilizing a business that the Zoch’s had previously owned and operated. Through further investigation it was determined that the Zoch’s had owned a hair salon as well as a tanning business located in Albert City, IA between May of 2006 to September 2009.
On February 1st 2010 at approximately 5:00pm a search warrant was executed at the Zoch residence located at 5257 100th Ave Storm Lake, IA. This warrant was executed by the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office as well as assisted by the Storm Lake police department. During the search of the residence, several video tapes were seized from the residence along with a video camera and video taping equipment, computer equipment as well as 4 firearms which were also seized as evidence.
Investigation continued with an examination of the video tapes that had been seized from the Zoch residence, this resulted in the discovery of approximately 25 separate victims, both male and female who had been video taped in a state of nudity while using the sun tanning equipment at the business owned by the Zoch’s, without the victims’ knowledge or consent.
As a result of this investigation Darwin and Janelle Zoch have each been charged with 58 counts each of invasion of privacy, a serious misdemeanor.
At this time the investigation is continuing and further charges are possible.
03.12.10
According to Sheriff Gary Launderville of the Buena Vista Co Sheriff's Office, a fatal farm accident occurred on March 11, 2010 at 5334 170th Ave. At approximately 4:50PM the Buena Vista Co Communications Center dispatched law enforcement, ambulance and rescue personnel to the farm residence after receiving a report of an accident involving a skid loader. Preliminary investigation determined that the farm resident was working with a skid loader and suffered fatal injuries when he got pinned between the hydraulic arms of the bucket and front frame. Pronounced dead at the scene was Ervin Bolte, 75 years of age. The agencies assisting the Sheriff's Office at the scene were the Albert City Fire Dept, Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Ambulance and the Buena Vista Co Medical Examiners Office. The accident remains under investigation