A Fort Madison man charged with armed robbery after DNA evidence links him to crime scene
A Fort Madison man has been arrested and charged for an armed robbery incident at a Hardee’s restaurant in November. Shaukim Redd, 30, was taken into custody on Wednesday by the Fort Madison Police Department. The arrest came after DNA evidence from a trail of blood left behind at the crime scene matched Redd’s DNA profile.
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Robbery at Hardee’s
The robbery took place on November 7 at the Hardee’s located at 1431 Avenue H. Witnesses reported that a man armed with a “Michael Meyers style knife” entered the store wearing a black sweatshirt with the drawstrings pulled tight to conceal his face. He jumped over the counter and demanded money from the cash register. When employees were unable to open the register, the suspect became agitated and allegedly punched the manager in the face and mouth.
After being confronted by a patron, the suspect fled the scene. The injured manager was taken to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center for treatment.
During the investigation, police discovered a trail of blood believed to have come from an injury the suspect sustained while assaulting the manager. The blood samples collected at the scene were sent to the Iowa DCI Crime Laboratory for DNA comparison.
DNA evidence leads to arrest
On December 20, the Iowa DCI Crime Laboratory identified an “offender hit” from the blood samples that belonged to Shaukim Redd. Redd had previously submitted DNA samples during an unrelated investigation in 2021. The probability of the blood samples belonging to someone other than Redd was found to be extremely low.
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Redd was taken into police custody on Wednesday and charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, going armed with intent, and four counts of third-degree theft.
Additional theft charges
In addition to the armed robbery charges, Redd is also facing theft charges for two separate incidents. On January 9, a man wearing a grey sweatshirt stole two bottles of Crown Royal Regal Apple from Casey’s West. On January 12, another theft of a bottle of Crown Royal Regal Apple occurred at Casey’s East.
Police obtained a still picture from the first theft incident, which led to an anonymous tip identifying Redd as the suspect. Surveillance footage from a nearby business also showed a vehicle matching the description provided by witnesses. Subsequently, Redd was arrested during a traffic stop.
Ongoing investigation
The Fort Madison Police Department stated that the investigation into Redd’s activities is ongoing, and additional charges may be filed. Redd is currently held at the Lee County Jail pending an initial court appearance.
Fort Madison Police Chief Mark Rohloff emphasized the department’s commitment to ensuring public safety and bringing those responsible for crimes to justice.
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