Lakeside man accused of taking wanted New York man's identity

A Lakeside man from Honduras is in county jail held for identity theft and an immigration investigation after taking on the identity of a New York man who happened to be wanted himself.

Monday afternoon, a Storm Lake Police Officer while on patrol ran a check on a vehicle in the 500 block of West 7th Street and was advised that the registered owner was wanted.

Police learned that the car was registered to Jose Cruz, age 51 of Lakeside, wanted by the New York Police Department for Felony Drug Warrants. The officer stopped the vehicle and made contact with the driver who was not the registered owner.

Police determined that Cruz was at a residence in Lakeside. In that area they found Cruz in another vehicle which was stopped in the 100 block of Birch Street. Cruz was taken into custody without incident.

Through further investigation police now allege that the man living as Jose Cruz is Juan Granados Reyes, age 47, a native of Honduras who is not a U.S. citizen.

Police report that Granados was using the Cruz identity to gain employment at Meridian in Storm Lake. Granados reportedly did not know that the identity he had adopted was that of a wanted subject by the NYPD.

Police seized over $700 in cash and a Honduran passport during the investigation. Granados is held on felony identity theft charges and a detainer by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department pending confirmation of his identity and a determination of his status in the country.

No previous local criminal record under either the Cruz or Reyes names were listed in jail records.