News : December theft charge leads to holiday back in Benton County jail for area suspect

A man who was arrested for two theft charges in September after a Belle Plaine officer stopped a stolen cargo van with a stolen motorcycle inside it has spent the holidays back in Benton County jail after violating the terms of his pre-trial release, and being arrested for running over a pedestrian while fleeing the scene of another theft, in Linn County in December. In September, while Benton County authorities were investigating a string of reports of stolen items, including vehicles, throughout the area, Jonathan Callanan, 35, who has given authorities addresses in Hiawatha and Cedar Rapids, was arrested in Belle Plaine. Officer Tyler Brandt, according to a criminal complaint, noticed a stolen white cargo in Belle Plaine on Sept. 8. He stopped the vehicle, and its driver, Callanan, was charged with second degree theft, possession of drug paraphernalia (a glass pipe containing apparent drug residue) and driving while barred. Later, the Benton County Sheriff's Office completed an investigation into the motorcycle inside the van, and determined it had been stolen. That led to a second charge of second degree theft. Callanan posted bond and was released Sept. 28. But his pre-trial release was revoked on Dec. 12. Court documents allege Callanan violated terms of release by failing to recharge the battery in his monitoring device, leaving his whereabouts unknown to authorities on several occasions. He was also arrested Dec. 6, for using U-Haul truck to try to steal items from a Cedar Rapids plumbing supply business, and running over someone as employees tried to prevent him from fleeing. According to court documents: "On 12/06/17 the defendant was arrested by the Cedar Rapids Police Department and charged with Driving While Barred, Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon, and Assault Causing Bodily Injury in Linn County case AGCR124992. It is alleged that, while employees at a local business were trying to detain the defendant in connection with a theft, the defendant drove his vehicle towards employees and struck an individual causing a head injury." Those documents also allege that Callanan failed to recharge his monitoring device on eight separate occasions. He was returned to the Benton County jail; officers picked him up at a Linn Co. detention facility. He remains in jail.