Storm Lake traffic stop leads to two warrant arrests, vape charge

A routine stop in Storm Lake turned into two warrant arrests and a new drug charge after officers said they found a THC vape device in the vehicle early Tuesday morning, May 5.

Storm Lake police stopped the vehicle and arrested Brooke Inthasane Robinson, 32, of Pocahontas, on an active Pocahontas County warrant tied to felony possession of a controlled substance. Passenger Garhoth Dak, 29, of Storm Lake, was arrested on a Buena Vista County warrant for failure to appear. He was also charged with hemp inhalation after officers allegedly found the vape device, and he was being held on a $600 bond.

The Buena Vista County warrant was linked to a failure to appear on a paraphernalia charge, adding another layer to a case that began as a traffic stop but quickly exposed unresolved court issues in two counties. The arrests also underscored how often routine patrol work in Storm Lake can pull in people with active warrants from elsewhere in northwest Iowa.

A follow-up account said the Storm Lake Police Department was assisted by the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and the Pocahontas County Sheriff’s Office, turning the stop into a multi-agency matter. Robinson’s arrest tied her to an active warrant in Pocahontas County, while Dak’s case kept the focus closer to home because he is a Storm Lake resident.

The hemp allegation carries its own legal weight in Iowa. State law, including Iowa Code section 204.14A, classifies inhalation of hemp or hemp products as a serious misdemeanor. A separate hemp regulation update approved by the Iowa Legislature took effect July 1, 2024, reflecting how state law has continued to evolve around hemp products that can be inhaled through a device.

For Buena Vista County, the stop is another example of how quickly traffic enforcement in Storm Lake can lead to arrests, court holds and new charges. Even a brief stop can surface active warrants from neighboring counties, and in this case it put both a Pocahontas County felony case and a local failure-to-appear issue back in front of law enforcement.