Oelwein Suspect Arrested After Three-Day Search

The man who caused a lock-out of schools and a lock-down of medical facilities in Oelwein last week is in custody.

Fayette County sheriff's officials said Emilio Torres, 28, of Oelwein, turned himself into authorities without incident on Monday (Sept. 10, 2018). His arrest ends a three-day search for Torres that involved multiple agencies.

The incident that triggered the search for Torres happened Friday morning, when authorities learned that a man was possibly walking around Oelwein carrying gun. Around 8:45 AM, officers received a report to investigate a suspicious man in the 1000 block of West Charles St. While responding to that location, they learned that that man was apparently involved in a domestic dispute in the 800 block of 1st St. SW.

When police arrived on the scene, they confronted the man -- later identified as Torres. Police said the man reached for a gun and was involved in an altercation with an officer before he left the area. The search for Torres led to a high-speed car chase through Oelwein, which ended when he drove his vehicle into a creek and fled on foot.

As a precaution, all Oelwein schools were placed on lock-out status Friday. Mercy Hospital and a medical clinic in Oelwein were also put on lock-down.

Torres is being held in the Fayette County on warrants charging him with first-offense domestic abuse assault, eluding-injury, operating while intoxicated (OWI), drugs or participate in a felony, interference with officials acts-firearms, and carrying weapons.