Three arrested in connection with burglaries in rural Stanton, Villisca

Three people were arrested in Decatur County in connection with a string of rural burglaries, including two in Montgomery County.

On March 20, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigated two burglaries, one at 2226 Hwy 71 north of Villisca, and a second at 2123 Nature Ave. northwest of Stanton. Cash, jewelry, and firearms were taken in both burglaries, and the suspect’s vehicle was reported as a maroon SUV.

At around 11 a.m. on March 22, the Decatur County dispatch center received a call from a Leon resident regarding two suspicious individuals at his residence. The caller stated he recognized the suspects’ description and vehicle description from social media posts from Southwest Iowa.

Decatur County authorities initiated a traffic stop on the suspect’s vehicle north of Leon on Hwy 69. During the stop, a K9 indicated the presence of an illegal substance.

During the stop, law enforcement officers were able to identify items stolen from Montgomery and Decatur counties. The three occupants, Victor Lamont Gaston, 28, of Warner Robins, Ga., Jenea Yervone Gaston, 29, of Macon, Ga., and Ja Shawn Lamar Clayborne, 25, of Toledo, Ohio Were detained pending further investigation.

Upon execution of a search warrant on the vehicle, officers located more items stolen from Montgomery and Decatur counties, as well as items stolen from Ringgold County and other items believed stolen but not yet identified. The vehicle search led investigators to a Motel 6 in St. Joseph, Mo. where numerous other items of stolen property were located.

All three suspects were charged with third-degree burglary and two counts of possession of stolen property in Decatur County, and face additional charges in Montgomery County. Bond was set at $40,000. The investigation is ongoing.