PELLA, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa State Patrol spokesman says the crash of a pickup truck into a Wal-Mart store in Pella that killed three people, appears to have been an accident. Patrol Sgt. Nathan Ludwig said Thursday that investigators “don’t have any reason to believe it was intentional,” but are looking into all scenarios. Ludwig said the crash just before 10 a.m. killed three people — all outside the vehicle — and injured the driver and another person. He says none of those killed or injured were children.

Authorities have not yet released the identities of those involved as officials work to inform family members of the casualties. Lugwig said Thursday afternoon that he did not have the medical conditions of those hurt. A photograph posted by the Des Moines Register shows the pickup came to rest in the fresh produce aisle of the store with merchandise scattered on the floor.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests. On Tuesday, 23-year old Ashlie Marie Gray, of Tabor, and 19-year old Denver Alan Cook, of Glenwood, were arrested on separate warrants for Assault. Bond for both individuals was set at $1,000 each.

On Wednesday, 36-year old Helen Elaine Tuper, of Malvern, was arrested in Malvern on a charge of Harassment. Her bond was set at $300.  And, 45-year old Wendy Ann Edmonds, of  Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Edmonds was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) – Repairs will soon be complete on a broken elevator at a Le Mars apartment building, allowing some elderly and disabled residents easy access to the outside world for the first time since August. Fire chief David Schipper says the elevator at the five-story Floyd Valley Apartments is expected to be in operation Friday or by the beginning of next week.

Schipper tells The Sioux City Journal special parts for the elevator have had to be made and shipped from Pennsylvania. One part was dropped down the elevator shaft and broke a couple of weeks ago, slowing down the repair process even more.

Larry Schmitz, a fifth-floor resident, says he’s only been able to leave the building four times since August. Paramedics had to assist Schmitz up and down the stairs on two of those occasions.

Law officers and banks are on alert in northwest Iowa after a man tried to defraud at least four banks in the region this week. Le Mars Police Sergeant Jay King says the suspect used the same tactics at each stop, including at Kingsley State Bank in LeMars. King says, “What he did is he would take a stolen check, a forged check, and write it out for a large amount, deposit it into a real account of somebody who was not involved in any of this but keep an amount of cash out, basically causing an act of theft for the amount he kited from the check.”

Police are circulating a photo of the man.

Bank fraud suspect

“The subject is described as a person of 40 to 50 years of age with a close-cut haircut,” King says. “He was wearing an Ace bandage on his right arm, dressed in business attire. He drove away in a white Chevy Impala.”

It appears the same suspect also tried the scam at two Sioux County banks — in Granville and Alton — and later at a bank in Sioux City. Officials would not say how much money was involved.

(Radio Iowa)