Two arrests were made in Columbus Junction following an armed robbery that took place late Tuesday evening. At approximately 11:21 p.m. on September 5, the robbery occurred at the Best Western Motel in Mt. Pleasant. Louisa County Sergeant Ed Parker intercepted the vehicle and conducted a felony stop at 11:48 p.m.

The driver, 28-year-old Marquise Rushin of Chicago was taken into custody and a firearm was seized. The passenger, later identified as 34-year-old Calvin Williams, also of Chicago, fled the scene during the stop, initiating a search that would continue into early Wednesday afternoon. 

At approximately 6:10 a.m. Williams was seen in the 200 block of Main Street in Columbus Junction and chased into the back of a business. While it was believed that Williams was barricaded in the building, he would later flee through the back door. While the search continued with K9’s, drones, and home searches, residents were advised to stay indoors and the Columbus Community School District canceled school for the day.  

At approximately 12:46 p.m. Wednesday, a resident near the Columbus Junction Post Office viewed Williams on their porch asking for them to open the door to “sign a package”. Williams would then flee to an apartment in the 100 block of Walnut Street, where he was found hiding in a closet and arrested by law enforcement.

Rushin was handed over to the Mount Pleasant Police Department and charged with first-degree armed robbery, a class B felony. Williams, who was on Federal Probation was charged with two counts of interference, criminal mischief, and trespassing. He will be transferred to Mount Pleasant as well with further felony charges expected from multiple agencies. 

The Louisa County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in the incident by the Columbus Junction Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Muscatine Sheriff’s Office, Muscatine Police Department, Louisa County Emergency Management, and Louisa County Ambulance.