(L/R: Jonah Blake & Dakota Gates)
Charges of Felony Burglary, Theft, and Criminal Damage to Property have been filed in Washburn County Circuit Court against 2 Spooner men for the recent burglary at the IPlay store in Spooner, WI.
DrydenWire.com 1st broke the story Monday night, April 10th, 2017.
According to the criminal complaint obtained and reviewed by DrydenWire.com, two men from Spooner, WI, Jonah Blake and Dakota Gates were identified as the individuals who broke into the IPlay Store in Spooner, WI between the hours of 8:00 PM April 9, 2017, and 6:45 AM April 10, 2017. Spooner Police Department was dispatched on a report of Criminal Damage to Property at the IPlay store after someone saw that the glass entrance door to the building located at 111 Elm Street, Spooner, WI had been smashed.
Officers who arrived on scene found that the inner entrance door to the IPlay store also had the glass window smashed out and the door had been opened. A glass wall display case was also smashed. The owner of the IPlay store arrived on scene along with another business owner who rents space in the building at 111 Elm Street.
The criminal complaint continues stating that officers had the owner of IPlay take an assessment of items missing which included jewelry, gaming systems, laptop computers, and small storage containers. The safe in the store had not been disturbed and the store's cash was still in the safe.
Spooner Police Department initiated an investigation, requesting any possible surveillance footage from surrounding businesses and banks. The owner of IPlay advised officers that Dakota Gates had been in the IPlay store on Friday, April 7, 2017, and had shown an interest in some of the items that were now missing.
Officers were dispatched later that same morning to Sather Jewelry in Spooner, WI after a report was called in that Dakota Gates and another man had stopped there to attempt to pawn some jewelry. The criminal complaint states that after being told the jewelry was 'costume jewelry' and therefore of no value to Sather's, Gates and the other man left.
When officers initially interviewed Dakota Gates he stated that Jonah Blake and another man had brought some items to his home to sell them to him, including jewelry and a damaged PS2 gaming system. Officers collected the items and later had the owner of the IPlay store review them, who stated that he recognized some of the jewelry, however, the more expensive items of jewelry that were missing from his store were not among those recovered.
Later that day, officers returned to Gates' home who at that time gave consent for officers to search his residence. The criminal complaint goes on to state that while officers were there, Gates provided them with gaming controllers wrapped in gray Walmart bags and video games that he stated had been left with him by Blake. A small storage container was also retrieved from Gates' residence.
The owner of IPlay identified the items retrieved from Gates' residence as matching some of the items missing from his store. Spooner Police Department also received follow-up from a bank near the IPlay store regarding surveillance footage that showed two individuals in the area of IPlay on April 9, 2017, during the time of the burglary. After reviewing the video surveillance footage officers identified the two individuals as Dakota Gates and Jonah Blake.
On April 11, 2017, Gates reportedly requested to speak to officers from Spooner Police Department and stated to them that he had taken some pills with Jonah Blake on April 9, 2017, in the evening and that he doesn't really remember what happened after that.
Spooner Police Department learned on April 15, 2017, that Jonah Blake had been taken into custody on an unrelated incident and they went to the Washburn County Jail to interview Blake. The criminal complaint states that after Blake was advised that officers had video surveillance footage placing him at the IPlay store at the time of the burglary, he provided a statement to officers that he had gone with Gates to the IPlay store around 9:00 PM on April 9 and that Gates had broken the door in and gone inside.
Charges of Class F Felony Burglary, Class A Misdemeanor Theft, and Class A Misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property have been filed against both Blake and Gates. According to public record, Gates appeared for a bail bond hearing on April 12 and has been placed under conditions of a $1,000 signature bail bond. Blake appeared on April 17, 2017, for a bail bond hearing and has been placed under conditions of a $500 signature bail bond. Both men are to have no contact with the IPlay store or each other.
Blake is scheduled to appear in Washburn County Circuit Court on April 24, 2017. Gates is scheduled to appear on May 1, 2015.
DrydenWire.com will continue to update the community on this situation when any significant activity or progress develops and reminds our readers that arrested or charged individuals are presumed innocent until convicted by judge or jury.
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Last Update: Apr 21, 2017 7:18 pm CDT
