A former Jefferson and Bagley man is accused of murdering a woman on a golf course in Ames.
According to a press release from the Ames Police Department, 22-year-old Collin Richards faces a Class A Felony for first degree murder. Richards is accused of killing Iowa State University student Celia Barquin Arozamena at the Coldwater Golf Links in Ames. Ames Police Commander Geoff Huff says officers responded to the call at 10:24am Monday about a missing person. About an hour later, golf course staff alerted authorities of a body in a pond near the number nine hole. Authorities discovered the body of the victim. They determined she had been stabbed in the upper torso, head and neck.
During the investigation, Huff says they used a K-9 unit from the Boone County Sheriff’s office to aid in finding the potential suspect’s camp in a wooded area near the golf course. Sources say officers conducted an interview with a witness of where Richards was staying in the temporary camp. Officers were approached by Richards, who was taken to the Ames Police Department to be interviewed. Sources say officers interviewed two other individuals who told them they were going to drive Richards to Jefferson, but he wanted to go back to his camp to get his tent. Officers then found Richards and took him into custody.
Richards was sentenced to two-years of probation in 2015 in Greene County when he stole a vehicle, rolled it and then stole another vehicle. Then during a consent search of the vehicle, the Greene County Sheriff’s office found drugs as well. He was also placed on two-years of probation for a harassment incident in January of 2015 and given another two-years of probation for a criminal mischief incident in August of 2015, both in Guthrie County. He was also given two-years of probation for a theft and burglary incident that happened in Guthrie County in September of 2016.
Richards is being held in Story County Jail on a $5 million cash-only bond. Huff says Richards is considered homeless. His preliminary hearing for the murder charge is set for September 28th.
Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information as it becomes official.