Storm Lake police arrest man during drive-thru vehicle burglary call

Police say a routine stop at the Scooter’s Coffee drive-thru on Seneca Street turned into a tense public-safety call when Martin Guillen allegedly entered a vehicle occupied by his estranged ex-girlfriend and her children, then told her he had a gun and not to call anyone.

Officers were called at about 7:26 p.m. on April 18 to the parking lot at 801 Seneca Street, where a vehicle burglary was reported in progress. According to authorities, Guillen fled on foot as officers arrived and the situation was still unfolding in one of Storm Lake’s busiest commercial areas.

The confrontation escalated during the arrest. Police said Guillen resisted commands and struggled with officers for several minutes before a Taser was used. Three Storm Lake police officers sustained minor injuries, and authorities said Guillen later kicked out a rear window of a patrol car while being transported.

Guillen, 36, of Storm Lake, was charged with three counts of interference with official acts causing bodily injury, assault while participating in a felony, disorderly conduct and second-degree burglary. Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Department deputies and Iowa State Patrol troopers assisted Storm Lake officers at the scene.

Chief Chris Cole said officers showed restraint and professionalism in resolving the incident as safely as possible. The Storm Lake Police Department says it provides 24-hour law-enforcement service to the city and has twenty sworn officers, a small staff that handled the call in a highly visible retail corridor where customers and employees were still going about their evening.