On December 30, 2019 at 948 p.m., the Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of suspicious activity in the 400 block of South Washington Avenue in Graettinger. It was reported a vehicle with no license plates was stopped in front of a residence and a male subject exited the vehicle and took off running to a shed. The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office located a vehicle matching the description in the 100 block of E. Nursery Street. Upon investigation it was determined Stephen Allis (56) of Graettinger, IA. had run out of gas in the vehicle he was operating. The Palo Alto County Sheriff’s Office arrested Allis on charges of driving while revoked, a simple misdemeanor, operating a non-registered vehicle, a simple misdemeanor, and failure to provide proof of financial liability – no insurance, a simple misdemeanor. Allis was transported to the Palo Alto County Jail where he was held until an initial appearance in front of a judge.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.