Third stolen handgun

IOLA – A regional string of vehicle entries has made its way to Iola, adding to growing reports of incidents across Waupaca County that now includes the theft of a third gun.

Police in Iola are investigating overnight vehicle entries that occurred April 26 through April 27. Police Chief Paul Zierler confirmed the department received one formal report involving two unlocked vehicles parked in a driveway on West Ellefson Street that were entered and a purse was stolen.

Another Iola resident commented on social media that his truck was entered on Grove Street during that timeframe, though he did not state whether anything was taken and the incident was not reported to police.

The Iola vehicle entries are part of a broader pattern in neighboring communities, which now includes a gun that was stolen from a vehicle in Symco.

On April 24, a resident reported to the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office that his unlocked truck had been entered sometime over the previous two weeks and a handgun and magazine were stolen from the truck’s center console. The resident said he was recovering from surgery and his vehicle was parked at his residence on Church Street in Symco when the incident occurred.

According to the incident report, the sheriff’s office advised the resident that he should start to lock his vehicle, document the serial numbers for his guns and make sure his guns are in a secured area.

The theft marks the third gun reported stolen from a vehicle in the area in the past month. Manawa police previously reported a gun stolen from an unlocked vehicle on Factory Street during a string of entries overnight March 29. In Weyauwega, another gun was stolen overnight on April 15 after suspects smashed the window of a locked vehicle to access a mounted gun.

Zierler said he has been in contact with law enforcement officials in Manawa and Weyauwega regarding the overnight entries. He said it is possible the Iola case could be related to the incidents in neighboring communities, but there is no evidence at this time to confirm a connection.

So far, the investigation into the stolen purse has produced no surveillance footage or eyewitness accounts, Zierler said. He added that the warming spring weather may also be contributing to the spike in activity.

Zierler urged residents to lock vehicles and to not leave any valuables in vehicles. He also encouraged residents to keep an eye out for suspicious activity in their neighborhoods and to report anything unusual to law enforcement.