The mother of a Western Iowa teen accused of murder and arson, has been arrested on theft charges. Cass County Sheriff’s officials say 37-year old Deborah Lynn Dyess, of Clay Center, Nebraska, was arrested Thursday on two Pottawattamie County Warrants charging her with theft in the second and fourth degrees. Dyess is currently being held in the Cass County jail awaiting transportation to Pott County. Her bond is set at 11-thousand 500-dollars. Dyess’s 17-year old daughter Tracey was charged with two-counts of first-degree murder, two-counts of attempted murder and one-count of first degree arson in connection with the March 31st fire in Griswold that killed two of her younger siblings. The teen told authorities she set the fire to harm her stepfather Brian Street, who she says had sexually abused her for the past three years. She is being held in the Pottawatamie County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting her May 24th trial. Judge Jeffrey Larsen ruled Monday that Tracey, who will turn 18 at the end of May, will be tried as an adult. Brian Street was charged with 10-counts of sexual abuse and is being held in the Cass County jail on 130-thousand dollars bond. His trial has also been scheduled for May 24th.

Radio Iowa