DALLAS COUNTY, Iowa — A 36-year-old former farm employee has been arrested for allegedly intentionally causing a fuel leak that spilled into a creek in Waukee.

Aaron Wayne Peek, of Des Moines, was taken into custody Tuesday night and is facing charges for 1^st-Degree Theft, 1^st-Degree Criminal Mischief and Trespassing, according to a news release issued by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident, which reportedly happened in the middle of the night Saturday at 27099 U Ave., listed as Manning Ag Service online, spilled approximately 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel onto the property. The value of the fuel lost was more than $10,000, and the estimated cost of the environmental cleanup was over $100,000. The fuel later reached Little Walnut Creek, where mitigation efforts are ongoing.

The news comes less than 24 hours after Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante confirmed to WHO 13 that a criminal investigation was underway. Investigators said Peek was caught on camera and identified by witnesses.

“The Dallas County Emergency Management Agency and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, with cooperation from the property owner, are working in conjunction with numerous local agencies on mitigating the diesel spill,” said the Sheriff’s office.

Metro News: