Newton Police Department
• Chase R. Bubak, 20, of Ankeny, is charged with operating while intoxicated and failure to maintain control after authorities were called to 100 N. 19th Ave. E. at 9:19 p.m. Sept. 10. Officers were informed there was a vehicle driving that was heavily damaged. Officers located the vehicle in the 100 block of North 19th Avenue East driving with no headlights. The vehicle was missing the back right wheel, right rear quarter panel and it’s air bags had been deployed. Bubak had crashed into a metal gate, drove through a ditch twice and continued traveling before officers located him. Bubak smelled of alcohol and showed clues of intoxication through field sobriety tests. Bubak had a BAC of .205 and admitted to being impaired before he crashed the truck. He was taken to the Jasper County Jail.
• Joseph E. Frazier, 39, of Des Moines, is charged with operating while intoxicated second offense after authorities pulled over his vehicle for improper color of lights at 10:11 a.m. Sunday. Officers smelled alcohol on Frazier and he admitted to drinking. His BAC came back as .131. He was taken to the Jasper County Jail.
• Tracy F. Johnson, 55, of Newton, is charged with moving vehicle backwards after authorities were called to West Fifth Street South at 1:50 p.m. Monday. Betty L. Wright was traveling north of West Fifth Street South when Johnson backed out, hitting Wright. He was cited and released to appear.
• Randall G. Meyer, 55, of Newton, is charged with serious assault, obstruction of emergency communications and fifth-degree theft after authorities were called to 1018 First Ave. E. at 8:58 p.m. Thursday. Officers spoke with the victim who said she had gone over to Meyer’s house to pick up some items. Meyer became angry with her and told her to leave the house. She continued to pick up her items when Meyer grabbed her by the back of the head and throat and told her never to talk to him like that again. He then head butted her in the forehead. When the victim tried to push Meyer away he drug her to the ground, causing her to hit her head, shoulder and hip against the wall. Meyer then began choking her and when she attempted to use her cell phone to get help he took it away. He was taken to the Jasper County Jail.
• Jamie J. Ray, 34, of Newton, is charged with domestic abuse assault after authorities were called to 524 E. Third Ave. E. #2 at 9:59 p.m. Saturday. Officers arrived and spoke with the victim who claimed Ray was upset with him for allegedly smoking marijuana. Ray tried to take the marijuana pipe and the victim ran from her until she tackled him on a bed. Ray put her arm on his neck so that he couldn’t breath and almost lost consciousness. He was able to get up and run to the kitchen where he grabbed a knife for protection. Ray ran after him and hit him in the back with a cable leaving a red mark. A neighbor also saw and heard Ray yelling at the victim before Ray left. She was taken to the Jasper County Jail.
• Vincent L. Spoonemore, 61, of Newton, is charged with possession of stolen property, possessing contraband, driving while license barred, operation without registration and violation - financial liability coverage after authorities pulled him over in the 100 block of East Fourth Street North at 10:54 p.m. Sunday. Officers ran the license plate and found they were stolen from Tama County. Spoonemore admitted he knew he was barred and that the plates were a friend’s. When going to jail, Spoonemore was warned that taking contraband into the jail would be a felony. Spoonemore was found with a bag of marijuana in his jeans. He was taken to the Jasper County Jail.
• Ami C. Swank, 43, of Newton, is charged with reckless use of fire after authorities were called to 609 W. Sixth St. S. at 2:55 a.m. Sept. 3. Officers heard a loud explosion and upon searching the area they located a campfire in the back yard. Officers saw Swank standing in a detached garage and approached her asking her to answer the door. A second explosion occurred from the fire shooting an object that struck one of the officer’s in the neck causing burns, a laceration and a contusion on the officer’s neck. She was cited and released to appear.
• Kelly L. Taft, 38, of Newton, is charged with fifth-degree theft after authorities were called to Wal-Mart at 12:23 p.m. Sept. 2. A Wal-Mart asset protection employee told officers that Taft placed a battery charger worth $24.61 under items that he had already purchased that were sitting on his lap and drove his wheelchair out of the store. Taft said that it was an accident. Officers reviewed the surveillance video and found that Taft left the store without paying. He was cited and released to appear.