Three men, identified as 31-year-old Billy “Ty” Phillips of Hawarden, 27-year-old John Carr of Sheldon, and 19-year-old Darren Nicholson of Sioux Center, were arrested by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for attempting to break into a church.
The arrest followed an ongoing investigation into church burglaries in the area. Deputies, suspecting a church south of Canton as the next target, stationed two officers inside on Thursday night.
When two men attempted to break in, they were apprehended, and a subsequent search of their vehicle revealed methamphetamine, burglary tools, and other items related to burglaries.
The men face charges including burglary, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance, and ingesting a controlled substance.
The driver also faces an additional charge for having forged paper plates.