CEDAR RAPIDS — Police are asking for the public’s assistance in the investigation of several burglaries that occurred on the southwest side around the time Gina Frederiksen was brutally assaulted and killed Sunday.
The burglaries occurred between 4 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Sunday, according to police. Investigators are asking anyone in the geographic area, generally east of I-380 to the Cedar River and between 16 Avenue SW and 33 Avenue SW to review any surveillance photographs or video they may have.
Police are asking anyone that has recordings or photos of “suspicious activity” from surveillance footage during these times to contact the Cedar Rapids Police Department at 319-286-5491.
Police told The Gazette Wednesday about three southwest burglaries of detached garages, which occurred Saturday night into early Sunday, that were being investigated for any possible connection to Frederiksen’s homicide.
Evans, arrested Tuesday, is accused of killing the mother of three after breaking into her detached garage at 1814 I St. SW about 7:34 a.m. Sunday, a criminal complaint shows.
Neighbors called 911 after hearing an explosion and when police arrived, officer Kevin Lukan pulled Frederiksen, who was unresponsive, from the engulfed garage and she was given emergency medical care but died a short time later at the hospital, according to police.
Fredriksen was found in the doorway of her burning garage with “traumatic injuries to her head and other parts of her body,” according to the complaint.
Two witnesses told police Tuesday that Evans described how he killed Frederiksen, just moments after it happened, and he admitted setting the fire in attempt to cover up the crime, according to the complaint.
The police investigation revealed this was random act that started out as a burglary of the garage and turned into a robbery that led to the fatal assault of Frederiksen, the complaint shows.
Greg Buelow, Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman, said Thursday he couldn’t give further details of why or how Frederiksen was in the garage early Sunday, only that she was in the garage when the fatal assault happened.
Evans was also charged with third-degree attempted burglary that occurred before Frederiksen’s death about 4:38 a.m. at 2101 Haven Court SW, which is in the same area, just further south of Fredriksen’s home, according to a criminal complaint. Footage from the homeowner’s surveillance camera shows Evans, who was later identified, approaching the home and the audio picked up the sound of the backdoor shutting as the man tried to get into the house.
The Gazette made repeated attempts to contact the residents Wednesday and Thursday but wasn’t able to talk to them.
Evans remains in the Linn County Jail on a $2 million bail.
If convicted of the murder charge, Evans faces life in prison without parole.
l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com