Two In Jail After Robbing Davenport Winery, Owner Is An Attorney

Two people are in jail after police say they robbed Wide River Winery in the Village of East Davenport on Thursday. The robbery left one female employee seriously injured. What the robbers haven't realized is that the owner of Wide River Winery is an attorney (and a damn good one at that) and her husband is a retired Clinton County judge.

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On Thursday, the Davenport Police Department put out a press release on social media about a robbery that occurred at the Wide River Winery location in the Village of East Davenport (1128 Mound Street). Davenport police say that on Thursday, April 28, 2022, at approximately 5:35 PM, Davenport Police responded to the Wide River Winery in reference to the report of a male physically assaulting a female inside the business.

Upon arrival, officers located an adult female who had sustained serious injuries along with two suspects who were attempting to flee the scene, the release says. Davenport police officers quickly apprehended both suspects and the victim was transported by Medic EMS to Genesis Hospitals for medical treatment.

Davenport Police say that upon initial investigation, it was determined that the two suspects, Christopher Mitchell, 35, and Emilee Haberling, 20, entered the business, demanded money from, and began to physically assault an employee while physically preventing her from leaving the business and from calling 9-1-1.

Scott County Sheriff's Office
Christopher Mitchell, 35 - Emilee Haberling, 20

If you have ever been to Wide River Winery, you notice there is a theme with the name of its wines. The name of the wines include, Ms. D'Meanor White, White Collar Crime, Felony Red, Caught Red Handed, Sweet Justice, and the list goes on and on.

The irony is also impeccable.

If you know the owner of Wid River Winery and her husband, you know why the wines have the names they do. According to their website, Wide River Winery's owner Dorothy O’Brien is an attorney. She specializes in employment law and her husband, Charlie Pelton, is a retired Clinton County judge.

I'm just going to throw this out there, I don't think I would rob a small business owned by a family filled with people who work in the judicial system.

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According to the press release from Davenport Police, the following charges have been filed in relation to this incident with the two suspects:

Emilee Haberling
- Kidnapping 1st Degree
- Robbery 1st Degree
- Theft 1st Degree
- Obstructing 9-1-1
- Interference with Official Acts
- Harassment of Public Officers and Employees
Christopher Mitchell
- Kidnapping 1st Degree
- Robbery 1st Degree
- Interference with Official Acts
- Harassment of Public Officers and Employees

According to Iowa Code 902.1, Kidnapping in the First Degree is a class "A" felony in Iowa which, if convicted, means they will spend the rest of their life in jail. Robbery in the First Degree is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, with 50-70% of a sentence required to be served.

Haberling is also charged with Theft in the First Degree, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Interference with Official Acts and Harassment of Public Officers and Employees are misdemeanor charges that both suspects received.

Davenport Police say this incident remains under investigation; no further information is available at this time. For a more detailed description of what happened Thursday night, our news partner, Local 4 News, has obtained the entire affidavit from the Davenport Police Department which you can find here.

Iowa's Island City

There is something unique about every town, but there is really something special about Sabula, IA. Known as "Iowa's Island City," Sabula is the only town in the state of Iowa that is entirely on an island. While not a lot of people have been to, or live in Sabula, it is a quaint little town nestled right on the Mississippi River.

Before we show you around "Iowa's Island City," let me give you the history of Sabula. Sabula was established in 1835, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis. Isaac Dorman and a man named Hinkley crossed the river from the Illinois side on a log and decided to settle on what is now Sabula. An Ohio couple, James and Margaret Woods would settle on Sabula about a year later in April of 1836. Their son, Dr. E. A. Woods would purchase Hinkley's interest in the claim. Charles Swan and W. H. Brown would soon purchase Dorman's interest. The three men, Woods, Swan and Brown later had the land plotted in 1837.

The idea behind plotting the land was because there was no town between Lyons (north Clinton) and Bellevue. The plot of the new town was recorded in Dubuque as this area was part of Dubuque county at the time, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis.

According to Island City Harbor's website, Sabula went through a few names before landing on the official town name. In 1837, Sabula was first called Carrollport. Residents of the town didn't like the name because there was a man's name who was Carroll who had a bad reputation. The town changed its name to Charleston, after early settler Charles Swan. The only issue was that there was already a town called Charleston in Iowa which caused much confusion.

In 1846 the settler’s decided to find a name. Island City Harbor's website says that because of it’s sandy soil, William Hubble suggested the town be called "Sabulum" which is Latin for sand. A party was being held around the time the town name was being discussed, when a woman, supposed to be Miss Harriet Hudson, suggested the town be called Sabula as it was easier to pronounce and sounded more elegant, according History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 1 by James Whitcomb Ellis.

Sabula did not actually become an island until 1939. According to Wikipedia, in the 1930's, the Army Corps of Engineers constructed the lock and dam system. In 1939, Lock and Dam No. 13 between Clinton, IA and Fulton, IL was built which caused the bottomlands west of the town permanently flooded. With the Mississippi River east of the town, this created the "Island City." A levee was built around Sabula in 1957 for protection, according to Island City Harbor's website. This also allowed for the south sand pit to be turned into a boat harbor.

I would like to thank my mom Beth, her fiancé Matt, my brother Nolan and my wife Ellie for accompanying me to Sabula. We always have a blast on our trips and this one was no exception.

It's now time to introduce you to Sabula, Iowa, Iowa's Island City.

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To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.