News : Suspect arrested for thefts from unlocked Vinton cars, buildings

Since last Thursday night, Oct. 10, the suspect believed responsible for latest string of thefts from unlocked cars and buildings has been in jail, and the reports of property thefts have ceased.

The arrest came shortly after the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football, says Bears fan Josh Boddicker. Boddicker was inside his grandmother’s house on 12th Street near Tilford Elementary, when from inside his grandmother’s house, he saw through a window facing the garage that the security light had been activated.

“I looked out the window and saw the garage door close,” Boddicker said, referring to the side door facing the house. “I told my grandmother to get ready to call the police.”

Boddicker said he went to the garage, opened that door, and saw a backpack on the floor behind his grandmother’s car. The suspect was inside.

“He came out of the car and said, ‘Hey, I am just trying to stay warm,’” said Boddicker, who restrained the suspect in a scuffle.

Boddicker explained in his own words what happened next:

“I UFC’d his a** and waited here for the police,” said Boddicker, standing between the garage and house, adding that the suspect admitted that many items found in his backpack were things he had stolen from area residents. UFC refers to the Ultimate Fighting Challenge, a mixed martial arts promotion company.

Vinton police arrested the suspect, Zackary Ildefonso, 20, of Cedar Rapids.

“The suspect in jail and the reports of thefts have stopped,” says Vinton Police Chief Jeff Tilson.

County Attorney Dave Thompson said his office has filed two third degree burglary charges against Ildefonso.

“He told us that he was out looking for unlocked doors and unlocked cars,” said Thompson. “He said that about 85 percent of the cars he looked into were unlocked, many with the keys still in them.”

Although the suspect admitted to taking property from other cars and residences, he could not point out exactly where those thefts took place, said Thompson. Also, many of the victims did not report the thefts to police, he added. For those reasons, only two counts of burglary have been filed.

Reminder to lock doors

Tilson said that he used to try to count each case of theft from unlocked cars or buildings, during his 30 years of law enforcement, there were too many too count. But, Tilson said, there is one number people should remember: 2/3

“Two thirds of property theft issues would go away if people would simply lock their doors," Tilson said.