Newton Police Department
• Carlman O. Lottie-Harris, 21, of Newton, was charged with domestic abuse assault impeding flow of air at 5 p.m. March 10 in the 400 block of East 22nd Street South. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were dispatched in reference to a physical domestic situation. Upon arrival, police made contact with the victim who had been in the kitchen washing potatoes when the victim said something that made Lottie-Harris angry. He allegedly grabbed the victim by the throat, impeding the victim’s breathing and slammed the victim against a kitchen cabinet, causing redness to the neck and chest area. Lottie-Harris was asked about the incident and told officers he should not have gotten so angry. He was arrested and taken to jail.
• Shirley Fisher, 46, of Newton, was charged with domestic abuse assault causing injury or mental illness at 1:17 p.m. March 15 in the 2500 block of North Seventh Avenue East. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were dispatched for a domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, officers made contact with Fisher and the victim. The two had a disagreement that turned into a physical altercation. Fisher punched the victim in the head, shoved the victim into a wall and pulled the victim’s hair, leaving scratch marks on the victim’s back from the altercation. A no contact order has been requested. Fisher was arrested and taken to jail.
• Barbara J. Bryant, 27, of Newton, was charged with simple assault at 12:01 p.m. March 12 in the 700 block of First Avenue East. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were called to McDonald’s in reference to an assault in progress. Upon arrival, police spoke to the victim who stated that Bryant was an employee working in the kitchen when a verbal argument started with her and another employee. The victim stepped in an attempt to calm the situation. Bryant then pushed the victim in the face and threw a scraper on the ground which struck the victim. Officers read Bryant her rights and agreed to speak to officers. She admitted to getting into an argument and pushing the victim. She was cited and released.
• Mackenzie L. Bookout, 23, of Des Moines, was charged with assault at 1 p.m. March 16 in the 700 block of East Fifth Street North. According to the Newton Police Department, Bookout was allegedly in an argument with the victim and another person. The argument escalated into a physical altercation and she struck the victim on the right side of the face and pulled a portion of the victim’s hair. Cookout then kicked the victim in the right leg which caused a visible mark and cut. She admitted there had been an argument but denied intentionally hitting the victim. Bookout’s actions was witnessed by another person. She was cited and released.
• David S. Jacobs, 31, of Newton, was charged with driving while barred at 2:24 a.m. March 16 near the intersection of North Fifth Avenue West and West Eighth Street North. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were running a stationary radar in the 800 block of First Avenue West when they viewed a vehicle turn north from First Avenue to West Eighth Street. The vehicle did not have any plates so police initiated a traffic stop. Officers made contact with the driver, identified as Jacobs. Officers ran his information through the system and he was shown to have a barred driver’s license. He was arrested and taken to jail.
• Britney R. Farr, 35, of Newton was charged with operating under the influence at 2:04 a.m. March 4 in the 100 block of North Second Avenue East. According to the Newton Police Department, officers viewed Farr operating a vehicle. She parked and then attempted to leave the parking spot but drove up on the nearby curb. Farr drove a block away and then parked again. Police approached the vehicle to complete a welfare check and determine the cause of the driving. Police noticed Farr smelled of an alcoholic beverage and had red, watery eyes and slurred speech. Farr told officers she had two beers at a local bar. Field sobriety tests were conducted, and she was determined to be impaired. Farr refused to supply a sample to the preliminary breath test but supplied one to the datamaster which revealed a BrAC of .228. She was cited and released.
• David R. Neasham, 56, of Newton, was charged with operating under the influence at 9:08 p.m. March 9 in the 800 block of East 12th Street South. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were dispatched to the intersection of East 12th Street South and South Eighth Avenue East in reference to a vehicle on the wrong side of the roadway with the driver still in the vehicle. Upon arrival, officers met with Neasham who had parked at an angle on the wrong side of the road, facing south in the northbound lane. Officers detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his person. Neasham had slurred speech and blood shot, watery eyes. He admitted to drinking alcohol and was unable to walk properly, swaying back and forth. The defendant refused all standard field sobriety tests. He was cited and released.
• Jessica J. Reed, 39, of Newton, was charged with fourth-degree theft at 1:30 p.m. March 2 in the 1500 block of First Avenue East. According to the Newton Police Department, a Hy-Vee employee reported that her wallet had been stolen from the office. Video evidence showed Reed leaving the office at the time of the theft. The wallet contained $200 in cash and a $150 Hy-Vee gift card. On March 11, Hy-Vee reported thefts of $34.80, $30 and $100 from the store all using the stolen gift card. Reed was shown completing the transactions on video and taking the money from the video. The total lost was valued at $514.80. She was cited and released.
• Joseph K. Mahl, 34, of Newton, was charged with public intoxication at 11:43 p.m. March 11 in the 1600 block of South 12th Avenue West. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were dispatched to the Super 8 Hotel on a report of an intoxicated male, later identified as Mahl, inside the business banging on doors. He was not a current guest at the hotel. Upon arrival, police made contact with the reporting party who stated Mahl was on the second floor and heavily intoxicated. Officers made contact with Mahl in the south stairway. He was intoxicated, his clothing was soaking wet and was having trouble maintaining his balance. Officers asked if he was still residing at his previous address and Mahl said he was not. Mahl refused to go to the hospital when asked and began banging his head on the wall. Officers restrained him to prevent him from hitting his head again and was allowed to calm down. Mahl was escorted outside and was again asked if he wanted medical attention. He then ran toward the glass entrance door and attempted to hit his head against the door. Mahl was again restrained from hitting his head and officers assisted him to the ground to control him. Mahl then attempted to hit his head on the concrete so officers then placed him in handcuffs. Mahl refused to provide a breath sample for chemical testing. He was arrested and taken to jail.
• Benjamin T. Gordon, 44, of Newton, was charged with domestic abuse second offense at 7:40 a.m. March 16 in the 400 block of South Fifth Avenue West. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were dispatched in reference to a domestic situation. The reporting party told dispatch that a man was chasing a woman down the street. Officers made contact with both individuals. The female victim advised she had been playing games on her cell phone when Gordon got upset for no reason and took her phone away from her. A verbal argument occurred and then Gordon shoved the victim into a window. The victim said Gordon also head butted her in the face. Officers couldn’t see any visible injuries on the victim, but she still wanted to press charges and requested a no contact order. Gordon has a previous domestic assault conviction on Feb. 25. He was arrested and taken to jail.
• Styler R. Duncan, 24, of Newton, was charged with operating under the influence at 12:11 a.m. March 14 in the 100 block of East 17th Street North. According to the Newton Police Department, officers were on active patrol when they got behind a vehicle with a nonfunctioning third brake light. Police also noticed the driver had drifted over to the curb, eventually striking the curb with the passenger side tires. Officers conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, identified as Duncan. Police noted an odor of alcoholic beverages coming from the car. Duncan submitted to standardized field sobriety tests and failed all three. He submitted a sample to the preliminary breath test which indicated a BrAC above .08. He also submitted a sample to the datamaster which indicated a BrAC of .141. He was cited and released.
• Benjamin T. Gordon, 44, of Newton, was charged with public intoxication at 7:07 p.m. March 13 in the 300 block of North Fourth Avenue East. According to the Newton Police Department, Gordon was located on a public sidewalk by officers. He had been reported in the area by MercyOne Newton Medical Center emergency room staff after he fled on foot from the hospital. Gordon’s speech and movement were fast and erratic. He admitted to using ecstasy. Officers deemed his behavior to be consistent with stimulant drug use. Gordon was arrested and taken to jail.