Omaha Fugitive Arrested in Eastern Iowa

Cedar Rapids, IA – U.S. Marshals arrested in Marion Nov. 18 a Nebraska man wanted on two counts of terroristic threats, use of a firearm to commit a felony, and burglary, stemming from a September home invasion incident in Douglas County, Nebraska.

Warrants were issued for Elias Lopez-Chavez, 18, on Sept. 17 and, believing Lopez-Chavez had fled the state, the Omaha based U.S. Marshals Service Metro Area Fugitive Task Force was requested to assist in the manhunt. Following an investigation into associates of Lopez-Chavez, the U.S. Marshals identified potential locations in eastern Iowa. Immigration officers assigned to the Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force also discovered Lopez-Chavez had an active warrant of removal from the U.S.

U.S. Marshals task force officers conducted surveillance at multiple locations throughout Cedar Rapids and Marion until the early afternoon of Nov. 18. At approximately 1 p.m. officers identified Chavez-Lopez exiting a commercial facility in the 800 block of 7th Avenue in Marion. After minor resistance, Marshals arrested Chavez-Lopez and transported him to the Linn County Correctional Center in Cedar Rapids where he awaits extradition to Nebraska.

The U.S. Marshals Service is the federal government's primary agency for fugitive investigations. Nationwide, 60 local task forces are dedicated to violent crime reduction by locating and apprehending wanted criminals. These task forces also serve as the central point for agencies to share information on fugitive matters. The Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force is composed of officers from the U.S. Marshals Service, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, Cedar Rapids Police Department, Marion Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.