A woman who was arrested in Iowa last week has been identified as a person of interest in the homicide of Faribault resident Gary R. Lehmeyer .
Lehmeyer, 76, was discovered dead during a welfare check at his home on Monday, Feb. 5. Authorities also noted that his car was missing from the residence — though they soon learned that it had been pulled over and confiscated in Dallas County, Iowa, earlier that day.
The person found driving Lehmeyer’s car, 32-year-old Bemidji resident Arlene Theresa Bell, was arrested by the Iowa State Patrol on unrelated charges and booked into a county jail. According to a news release from Faribault police, Bell has since been charged with Motor Vehicle Theft in relation to Lehmeyer’s car.
“Evidence recovered from the vehicle, and during our investigation, has established probable cause linking Bell to the theft of Lehmeyer’s vehicle,” the release says.
Saying that “this was not a random crime,” police also note that Bell and Lehmeyer “were engaged in a legally qualifying domestic relationship at the time of his death.”