Newton Police Department
• Luke J. Walters, 23, of Newton, was charged with assault from an incident that occurred at 10:52 p.m. May 26 in the 700 block of East Fifth Street South. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were told to speak with with a male who had been harassed. The victim advised Walters threw a can of food at him and swung at him with a knife. Officers spoke with a witness who advised there was a metal food can thrown but said that Walters had a pair of pliers not a knife. The witness said they were shoving each other. Walters had a mark and bruising on his arm. Walters was arrested on a warrant for the charge at 5:59 p.m. July 1 in the 700 block of East Fifth Street South and taken to the Jasper County Jail.
• Benjamin J.J. Grulke, 34, of Newton, was charged with second-degree harassment and two counts of violation of a no contact order and Elizabeth A. Etter, 30, of Newton was charged with third-degree harassment from an incident that occurred at June 23. According to the Newton Police Department, officers responded to a call for harassment in the 900 block of North Sixth Avenue East regarding harassment. The victim and the witness said that Grulke said he was going to assault her and told her to go back into her own house. The victim told officers a first name, clothing and physical description. When speaking with Grulke he fit all three descriptions. A witness also observed the incident occur. On June 23 while officers were on the call, they observed Etter standing in the walkway of an apartment which she earlier stated was hers. Officers also observed Grulke standing just inside the door of the same apartment which is a violation of their no contact order. Additionally, Etter was charged with harassment as officers said the victim said Etter yelled at her about Etter's cat. The victim told officers that Etter said "snitches get stitches" and told the victim to call the police because they won't do anything. A witness saw Etter yelling at the victim about the cat. Grulke was arrested at 6:51 p.m. July 1 in the 500 block of East Fifth Street South on a warrant for violation of a no-contact order. At the time of his arrest, he was with the protected party and was charged with another count of violation of a no contact order. Both Grulke and Etter were additionally served with the harassment charges. Grulke was taken to the Jasper County Jail, and Etter was released to appear in court.