A 57-year-old man faces potential first-degree malicious mischief charges after he reportedly threw rocks that broke windows at as many as 16 Des Moines businesses, including eight windows at the popular Anthony’s Homeport Restaurant.
At about 10:17 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12, Des Moines Police responded to a report of a large rock thrown through an exterior window at Anthony’s, 421 S 227th St., on the waterfront, according to first appearance court documents.
At about 3:55 a.m. Thursday, April 13, officers responded to another malicious mischief incident at ABC Grocery, 22309 Seventh Ave. S. Subsequent exterior video surveillance displayed a white male wearing a dark colored coat with a gray stripe across the back. The damaged window was on the front of the store near the front doors. Estimated replacement cost of the double pane window is $1,000.
As the morning hours continued, officers responded to multiple reports for damaged windows to local business all within walking distance in the downtown area. Officers used video from the businesses to help identify the man.
Other businesses struck by rocks thrown through windows included Bank of America, 707 S. 227th St. and Allstar Sports Bar, 22303 Marine View Dr. S.
An employee from Anthony’s called police and advised multiple windows had been broken, according to court documents. The new damage consisted of a broken glass front door and two glass panels to include windows on the opposite side of the building. On the west side of the business there were three additional large panes of glass which had been smashed with a large rock.
The restaurant manager told police the windows on the west side were tinted and double-paned and very costly to repair. He estimated the replacement cost to be about $2,000 per window. Eight windows were broken.
The arrest
At about 11:37 a.m. April 13, a Des Moines Community Service officer advised via radio she had observed reportedly the same man seen in videos from the businesses seated at a computer terminal at the Des Moines Library, 21610 11th Ave. S., according to court documents.
The officer recognized the man from her duties as a community service officer. The man reportedly had some of the same clothing seen in the videos hanging on the computer partition, including black and white Nike gym shoes.
Police booked the man April 13 into the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle, according to jail records.
Prosecutors argued at his initial court appearance April 14 that bail should be set at $15,000 because of the community safety concerns given the extensive damage caused, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The court found probable cause for malicious mischief and set bail at $1,000.
As of April 14, the man remained in the county jail.
“We anticipate receiving the necessary documents from Des Moines PD on Monday (April 17) for a formal charging decision,” according to Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
The Kent Reporter is not naming the man because he has not yet been formally charged. Court documents list his home address as a Post Office box number in Des Moines.
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