LU VERNE — The Iowa Department of Public Safety announced in a press release this (Thursday, Dec. 5) morning that a man has been arrested and charged as a result of the investigation of the shooting at the Security State Bank here on Wednesday. The release also included allegations of how the subject was apprehended.
The release said Valentino Williams, 35, of Coralville, was charged with first degree murder and first degree robbery in Kossuth County District Court. He is being held in the Kossuth County Jail pending his initial appearance.
The victim of Wednesday morning's shooting is Jessica Weishaar, 43, of Algona. Weishaar is an employee of Security State Bank. She was found lying in the front of the bank's branch on the corner of DeWitt and Quincy streets in Lu Verne early Wednesday morning. The Kossuth County Sheriff's Office identified Weishaar in a press release late Wednesday afternoon.
Here is the press release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety issued Thursday morning, with the state's accusations as filed in district court in Kossuth County:
On the morning of December 4, 2019, at approximately 8:40 a.m., the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office received a request for an ambulance in Lu Verne, Iowa. Reports came into law enforcement that a female victim had been shot outside of the Security State Bank. The victim was later determined to be Jessica Weishaar. She was found with multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene.
Witnesses calling into the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office reported that a black SUV, being driven by a black male, had been involved in the shooting and drove east out of Lu Verne. The suspect was reported to have driven away in a dark-colored or black SUV or crossover, and the vehicle was reported to not have a front license plate. Law enforcement in neighboring towns received multiple reports of a dark-colored SUV/crossover traveling eastbound, away from Lu Verne.
At 9:38 a.m., DOT Motor Vehicle Enforcement officers, Iowa State Patrol troopers, DCI agents and sheriff’s deputies made a traffic slop, near mile marker 158 of the northbound lane of lnterstate 35, of a black SUV with no front plate driven by a black male. The vehicle description was consistent with the reported description from witnesses at the bank. Officers determined that the vehicle was a Mazda CX-5 and was a rental vehicle bearing Michigan license plate DXC 0519.
The driver of this vehicle was identified as Valentino Williams, who had an Iowa driver’s license identifying his address as 2501 Holiday Rd., Coralville, Iowa.
Video reviewed near the scene showed that the suspect was average height and wearing a dark-colored, Carhart-style coat with a hoodie pulled up over his head. The video also showed that the suspect exited the vehicle carrying a dark-colored backpack and moved the backpack from his right to his left side, carrying the backpack in his left hand and a large handgun in his right hand. The suspect then fired the handgun at the victim several times and then fled the scene.
One witness interviewed by law enforcement reported a dark-colored vehicle with no front license plate parked behind the post office in Lu Verne, the witness heard three gunshots and saw an individual running across the street wearing a ski mask. The witness then followed the black vehicle, east out of Lu Verne, at a high rate of speed. The witness could not keep up and eventually lost sight of the suspect around the area of Highway 17 where he was last seen headed north.
A second witness was driving westbound from Kanawha on B63 and saw a small dark gray or black SUV/crossover headed east on B63, being driven by a younger black male.
Law Enforcement searched the traveled areas leading away from Lu Verne. During the search of the area to the east of the intersection of county road B63 and Highway 17, Iowa State Patrol troopers located a black ski mask and black medical gloves along the roadway. Three miles further east from that location, along B63, a local citizen found a green, Carhart-style coat and turned this over to law enforcement. Law enforcement also located zip ties in the area of where the coat was found, after they arrived to take custody of the coat. Law enforcement also located boots and jeans along B63 east of Lu Verne. The boots were consistent with the type of footwear that the suspect was seen to be wearing on surveillance video. Law enforcement later located a dark green coat near West Twin Lake on 120th Street in rural Hancock County.
While examining this coat they found a laminated card for a 2019 Mazda CX-5 with (a VIN number) in a sleeve zipped pocket. This card had the same VIN number as the Mazda CX-5 that Williams was found to be driving at the time he was stopped.
All of the aforementioned items were located in between the reported route that the suspect took from Lu Verne and Interstate 35.
During a search of the aforementioned Mazda CX-5, officers seized an empty black duffle bag, a gray-colored backpack, black spray paint and burglary tools. The vehicle was displaying a Michigan license plate on the rear but did not have a front license plate. The rental company confirmed that the Mazda CX-5 was rented by Williams in Iowa City, Iowa, on December 2, 2019, and was due back to the rental company on December 5, 2019.
-subscribed and sworn by Chris Callaway
The Kossuth County Advance will update information as it becomes available. Look in the Dec. 12 edition for more reporting.
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