Guttenburg Man Arrested for Stealing Farm Equipment During Winter Storm

The fire, the vote, the triumph — when it happens, Decorah News shows up. Support us being there. A Guttenberg man was arrested Thursday after authorities say he stole farm equipment during a winter storm in northeastern Winneshiek County. Deputies responded around 9:30 a.m. to a reported burglary on 380th Street in Highland Township. The victim told authorities he woke around 4:30 a.m. to the sound of a tractor leaving his driveway but assumed it belonged to a neighboring farmer. Later that morning, he discovered his John Deere 4430 tractor missing from a machine shed and a zero-turn lawn mower taken from an outbuilding and left stuck in the snow in his driveway. At the time of the incident, travel was not advised due to a winter storm producing heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions. While deputies were on scene, the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Timothy Schmitt of Guttenberg, returned to the residence with the tractor. Upon seeing law enforcement, Schmitt abandoned the tractor halfway down the driveway and attempted to flee on foot. Deputies stopped him a short distance away. According to authorities, Schmitt admitted his minivan had become stuck in a ditch about a mile from the residence during the snowstorm. He told deputies he first took the zero-turn mower in an attempt to free the vehicle but got it stuck in the driveway. He then took the tractor from the machine shed and successfully pulled the van from the ditch, though it later became stuck again on the roadway. Schmitt told deputies he drove the tractor to a nearby friend's house for several hours. While attempting to return it, he placed the tractor in another ditch, breaking a cab window. He was able to free the tractor but abandoned it upon seeing deputies at the residence. During the investigation, Schmitt also admitted to taking Milwaukee-brand tools from an outbuilding. Deputies recovered the tools from his minivan, which remained stuck in the snow on the roadway. Schmitt was arrested and transported to the Winneshiek County Jail on charges of third-degree burglary, a Class C felony, and operating without the owner's consent, an aggravated misdemeanor. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending. Get the inside scoop! Subscribe to the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and receive local news, expert analysis, and stories that matter most—straight to your inbox.