STORM LAKE — Three people are jailed on $100,000 cash bonds after a frightening Northern Iowa incident in which police say a woman was assaulted inside her home, her two young children were forcibly taken and the suspects threatened to kill the children if she contacted law enforcement.
The Storm Lake Police Department said officers were called to a residence in the 1400 block of North Seneca Street at approximately 10:41 a.m. Sunday, August 23, 2026.
Police were told that several people had entered the residence, assaulted the woman and forcibly removed her 4-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son.
Both children suffered minor injuries during the incident, police said.
Investigators say the suspects also took the mother’s cell phone and allegedly threatened to kill the children if she contacted police.
Police later determined the woman’s phone had been thrown from a vehicle, leaving her unable to immediately use it to call for help.
The mother was injured during the alleged assault and transported to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center, where she was treated and released.
Responding officers obtained a description of the suspects’ vehicle and began using investigative technology and other resources to identify it.
Police determined they were looking for a blue Nissan Altima bearing Nevada license plates and were able to determine its last known direction of travel.
That information was quickly distributed to surrounding law enforcement agencies.
Storm Lake police began working to obtain an Amber Alert while simultaneously issuing an area-wide BOLO — Be On the Lookout — containing information about the vehicle and missing children.
Officers never needed to wait for the Amber Alert to produce results.
While Storm Lake authorities were still working through that process, law enforcement officers located and stopped the suspect vehicle in Algona, more than 60 miles away.
The Algona Police Department, Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Department of Natural Resources detained three suspects and recovered the children.
One of the suspects was identified by police as the estranged father of the children. Authorities said an active no-contact order was in effect prohibiting that suspect from having contact with the children’s mother.
The police department’s release did not identify which of the three defendants was the estranged father.
Storm Lake investigators traveled to Algona, interviewed the suspects and recovered property allegedly removed from the victim’s home during the burglary and abduction.
The three suspects were then transported back to Storm Lake and booked into the Buena Vista County Jail.
Carlos Daniel Garciarena, 24, of Algona
Garciarena was charged with:
- Assault committed by a person against whom a protection order has been issued, a Class D felony
- First-degree burglary, a Class B felony
- Two counts of child stealing, Class C felonies
- Obstruction of emergency communication devices, a simple misdemeanor
- Two counts of child endangerment causing bodily injury, Class D felonies
- Impersonating a public official, an aggravated misdemeanor
Mailet De La Caridad Monteagudo, 22, of Algona
Monteagudo was charged with:
- First-degree burglary, a Class B felony
- Two counts of child stealing, Class C felonies
- Impersonating a public official, an aggravated misdemeanor
Sammy Tarik Shamma, 19, of Algona
Shamma was charged with:
- First-degree burglary, a Class B felony
- Two counts of child stealing, Class C felonies
- Impersonating a public official, an aggravated misdemeanor
All three defendants were being held on $100,000 cash bond.
Storm Lake Police Chief Chris Cole credited technology, rapid information-sharing and cooperation among numerous agencies with helping officers locate the children before the Amber Alert process was completed.
“This incident is an important example of how technology and information-sharing can serve as valuable tools for law enforcement when seconds matter,” Cole said.
Cole said officers were able to quickly develop identifying information about the suspect vehicle and get it into the hands of surrounding law enforcement.
“That information, combined with the rapid response and cooperation of multiple agencies, helped us locate the vehicle and the children before an Amber Alert could be issued,” Cole said. “I am extremely proud of our officers and grateful to all of the partner agencies and individuals who worked together to bring these children home safely.”
The Storm Lake Police Department was assisted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Algona Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Buena Vista County Attorney’s Office and Buena Vista Regional Medical Center.
Police said the investigation remains active and additional charges could be filed.
All criminal charges are merely accusations. Garciarena, Monteagudo and Shamma are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.