Crime
Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools Ian Andre Roberts Arrested by ICE
A senior official with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has confirmed that Dr. Ian Andre Roberts, Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, was arrested on Thursday, September 26, 2025, during a targeted enforcement operation.
ICE identified Dr. Roberts as a citizen of Guyana who has been living in the United States without legal status and has been subject to a final deportation order since May 2024.
According to ICE, agents approached Dr. Roberts while he was inside his vehicle.
Upon identifying themselves as immigration officers, Roberts allegedly fled the scene at high speed before abandoning his car nearby.
He was located approximately 200 yards away in a brush-covered area with the assistance of an Iowa State Patrol K9 unit.
During a search of the abandoned vehicle, ICE agents reported recovering a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and approximately $3,000 in cash.
The vehicle, according to officials, was one provided to Roberts in his role as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools.
ICE records show that Roberts first entered the United States in 1999 on an F-1 student visa to attend St. Johnโs University in New York. On May 22, 2024, he was ordered removed from the country in absentia.
A subsequent motion to reopen his immigration case was denied by an immigration judge in Dallas, Texas, on April 24, 2025.
Roberts also has a prior weapons-related arrest dating back to February 5, 2020, though the current status of that case remains unclear.
The investigation into how Roberts obtained the firearm has been referred to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as federal law prohibits individuals without lawful immigration status from possessing firearms or ammunition.
ICE ERO St. Paul Field Office Director Sam Olson issued a statement following the arrest:
โThis suspect was arrested in possession of a loaded weapon in a vehicle provided by Des Moines Public Schools after fleeing federal law enforcement. This should be a wake-up call for our communities to the great work that our officers are doing every day to remove public safety threats. How this illegal alien was hired without work authorization, a final order of removal, and a prior weapons charge is beyond comprehension and should alarm the parents of that school district.โ
ICE expressed gratitude to the Iowa State Patrol for their assistance in the operation.
Roberts remains in ICE custody as the investigation continues.
City of Hammond, Louisiana โ At approximately 11:50 p.m. on February 24, 2026, officers with the Hammond Police Department responded to a report of shots fired involving one possible victim.
Upon arrival, officers located a 14-year-old juvenile female, identified as Tyronai Reed, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
Emergency medical assistance was rendered at the scene, and she was transported to North Oaks Health System for treatment.
Despite life-saving efforts, Reed later succumbed to her injuries.
Detectives assigned to the departmentโs Criminal Investigations Division launched an immediate homicide investigation.
During the course of their investigation, authorities identified 18-year-old Demontez Treyvon โTreyโ Robinson of Hammond as a suspect in the shooting.
While actively working the case, officers observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and conducted a traffic stop.
Robinson was identified as the driver of the vehicle and was taken into custody without incident.
Robinson was transported to the Criminal Investigations Division for questioning. According to investigators, Robinson admitted that the firearm discharged while he was handling or โplaying withโ it, resulting in the single round striking the 14-year-old victim.
Robinson was subsequently booked into the Hammond City Jail on one count of Negligent Homicide.
Authorities emphasize that the investigation remains in its early stages and additional details may be released as they become available.
Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to contact Detective Corey Morse with the Hammond Police Department Criminal Investigations Division at 985-277-5758 or via email at morse_cm@hammond.org. Tips may also be submitted through the departmentโs official Facebook page or anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa at 1-800-554-5245.
Individuals providing information may be eligible for a cash reward. Authorities urge members of the community to assist in the ongoing investigation.