Iowa duo arrested in Peoria on suspicion of harboring a runaway and other crimes

PEORIA (25News Now) – Two men were arrested Saturday after allegedly harboring a 15-year-old runaway and committing other various crimes.

Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins said Shawn M. Carrell was arrested on preliminary charges of criminal sexual assault, violating an order of protection and harboring a runaway.

Watkins said during the investigation it was discovered that Carrell allegedly had sex with the 15-year-old, who also had a protection order filed against him.

Carrell has been formally charged with aggravated sexual abuse and harboring a runaway, according to charging documents and the Peoria County District Attorney's Office.

He remains in custody until his trial.

Also arrested was Ian J. Fifer on preliminary charges of child pornography and landing a runway. Watkins said during the investigation, images of a naked underage female were found on Fifer's phone.

Fifer was formally accused of harboring a runaway.

Around 11:30 a.m. Saturday, law enforcement officers in Lee County, Iowa, learned of a missing 15-year-old girl, listed as an endangered runaway, whose phone was ringing in Peoria County.

The alert vehicle in question, a white Dodge Ram, was found along with the 15-year-old and two men at a gas station on Lincoln Street in Peoria.

The license plates on the pickup were not the same as those originally reported to Peoria officials. It later emerged that the men had allegedly swapped license plates to avoid capture.

Carrell and Fifer were booked in Peoria County.

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