Say Anything Blog

The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS - A woman apprehended a burglar in her home Monday afternoon, police said.

Officers called to 426 35th St. SE a few minutes after 2 p.m. arrived to find Derdre Rodriguez holding Jake Merfeld, 16, at bay with an ice scraper, according to a police report.

Rodriguez told officers she’d arrived home a few minutes earlier to hear noises coming from a room at the back of the house. When she called her son’s name, she heard someone jump from a rear window. Rodriguez went to investigate and saw Merfeld running across the backyard, carrying jewelry, cell phones, and a video game.

Merfeld dropped the items as Rodriguez chased him across her neighbors’ yards. When she caught Merfeld, Rodriguez hit him across the top of the head with the ice scraper and he surrendered. As they returned to the house to wait for police, Rodriguez made him collect all the property he’d dropped.

Officers took Merfeld, of 3621 Dalewood Ave. SE, to a hospital for treatment of a cut to his head, then to police headquarters for questioning, then to Linn County’s juvenile detention center. Merfeld will face a second-degree burglary charge.

LOL .. my advise to “Jake the burglar”, never underestimate the power of a mad mom