UPDATE: 4:15 p.m.

Police charged Justin Patton, 32 of Melbourne and Bobbie Jo Spears, 32, of Hamilton, following a report of an armed robbery at Walmart before noon Tuesday.

Patton was charged in this incident with robbery in the second degree as a habitual offender, a class C felony. Patton was also warrants for for parole violation in Webster County and attempted burglary in the second degree in Marshall County.

Bobbi Jo Spears was charged with fifth-degree theft, a simple misdemeanor.

While responding to the call dispatchers advised officers that the suspects were a male and female and that the male had displayed a knife when he was approached by store personnel.

Officer Chris Weiland was the first officer on scene and observed the male and female coming out from behind Target. Officer Weiland was able to stop the female; however, the male ran on foot into a nearby cornfield, according to a press release.

Officers converged on the area in an attempt to contain the suspect in the field until more law enforcement arrived.

Patton was able to get out of the field and led officers on a foot pursuit where he was promptly apprehended in the area of the 500 block of South 29th Street, according to a press release.

The Fort Dodge Police Department was assisted in this incident by the Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriffs Department, Fort Dodge Fire Department, Trinity Regional Medical Center and Life Flight.

“I would also like to thank the many citizens that assisted by providing information to the officers in the area to what they had witnessed,”said Police Chief Doty in the press release. “Without their help this apprehension may not have occurred.”

Original Story:

Two suspects have been arrested following a report of a robbery at Walmart.

The suspects were reportedly shoplifting at Walmart, and when confronted by an employee one of the suspects pulled a knife on them.

The unidentified female suspect was arrested first as she was leaving the scene.

The unidentified male suspect apparently attempted to elude a Fort Dodge police officer by running into a cornfield north of Target.

Fort Dodge police surrounded the field in an attempt to locate the suspect, but he was later located behind Goodwill.

Assistant Fort Dodge Police Chief Roger Porter said the investigation is ongoing and more information will be available later this afternoon.

Multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Webster County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation all assisted on scene.