Clayton County Authorities release information on a number of accidents and arrests

On September 15, 2026, at approximately 2:38 PM, Clayton County deputies arrested Wyatt Backes, 19, of Holy Cross, on charges of operating while under the influence—first offense, failure to provide proof of financial liability—accident related, failure to maintain or use a safety belt, failure to maintain control, and leaving the scene of a personal injury accident. The arrest stems from a crash that occurred on Aug. 9, 2026, at approximately 1:00 a.m. near 37202 Highway 52 in rural Guttenberg. Backes was operating a 2014 Chevrolet Impala at the time of the crash.

On September 18, 2026, at approximately 1:51 PM, Clayton County deputies arrested Brianna Wild, 35, of Postville, on charges of forgery, theft - second degree, and unauthorized use of a credit card. The arrest stems from an approximately month-long investigation after Wild's former employer reported unauthorized purchases made with a company credit card and alleged forged documents

.On September 19, 2026, at approximately 7:34 a.m., Clayton County deputies charged Matthew Egging, 22, of Reasnor, with criminal mischief – third degree. The charge stems from damage Egging caused to the county jail while he was incarcerated. The estimated damage is between $750 and $1,500.

On September 21, 2026, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Clayton County deputies charged Harold Lloyd, 34, of Lamont with harassment in the first degree. The charge stems from an incident that occurred in rural Strawberry Point during which Lloyd threatened to commit a forcible felony against a female victim. Lloyd is currently incarcerated in the Buchanan County Jail on unrelated charges and is pending extradition to Clayton County.

On September 29, 2026, at approximately 11:00 p.m., Clayton County deputies arrested Brandi Bailey, 27, of Waterloo, on an active Clayton County arrest warrant for operating while under the influence - first offense. The arrest stems from a traffic stop that occurred on August 19, 2026, on Highway 18 near Hickory Avenue for a traffic violation.

On October 5, 2026, at approximately 4:43 p.m., Clayton County deputies were dispatched to 32489 Evergreen Road in rural Elkader for UTV crash. Upon arrival, deputies determined that Katherine Riniker, 68, of Elkader was operating a Polaris Sportsman 550 ATV eastbound on a private drive. Riniker lost control of the ATV, struck an electric fence, and was ejected from the vehicle. Riniker was pronounced deceased at the scene. Assisting the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office at the scene were the Strawberry Point Police Department, Mercy-One Elkader Ambulance Service, Garber First Responders, Littleport Fire Department, and the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office. The incident remains under investigation by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.

On October 8, 2026, at approximately 10:16 a.m., Clayton County deputies arrested Cody Simons, 27, of Strawberry Point for operating while under the influence - second offense. The arrest stems from a motor vehicle crash that occurred on September 14, 2026, at approximately 8:36 p.m., near 400th Street and Cedar Avenue. Simons was operating a 2026 CFMOTO UTV at the time of the crash.

On October 13, 2026, at approximately 1:53 p.m., Clayton County deputies were dispatched to 31286 Granite Avenue in rural Elkader for a report of a single vehicle rollover. Upon arrival, deputies determined that a white 2024 Ford truck operated by Oscar Laguna-Barbosa, 33, of Tama, was traveling northbound on Granite Avenue when the road gave way, causing the truck to overturn into the east ditch. Laguna-Barbosa was uninjured in the crash. The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Elkader Ambulance, Elkport-Garber First Responders, and the Littleport Fire Department.

On October 17, 2026, Clayton County deputies issued a summons to Ava Lindner, 19, of Monona for public intoxication. The summons stems from an incident that occurred on October 16, 2026, at approximately 1:00 a.m., when Lindner was found to be intoxicated on Main Street in Monona. Assisting the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office was MFL Ambulance Service.