Hunter
10/15/26
An Iowa City man on probation for felony drug and weapon charges was arrested overnight Tuesday after being stopped on a suspected burglary incident.
Just before 4:15 that morning, 19-year-old Obed Okito of Whispering Prairie Avenue was stopped in his neighborhood because he allegedly matched the appearance of a video-recorded burglary, walking in the area of the incident less than a half-hour after the burglar left the scene.
Okito reportedly ran from officers after being given lawful orders to stop. Police say when he started running, he was carrying a black backpack and when he stopped he no longer had the item. Officers found the backpack less than five feet from where Okito had been running. Inside, police allegedly discovered a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun that reportedly had been stolen during a burglary less than a month prior.
Okito was charged with interference with official acts involving a firearm, dominion or control of a firearm by a felon, and trafficking in stolen weapons. If convicted on the new charges, he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. He is currently in the Johnson County Jail on a cash-only bond.