INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (KCRG) – One man was arrested after being involved in an altercation early on Saturday morning. Cole Johnson was arrested and charged with willful injury causing bodily injury, first-degree harassment, and three counts of child endangerment. Early on April 29, Independence Police were sent to the 800 block of 6th Avenue SW after callers reported seeing a man and woman fighting in a backyard. Officers arrived and were told by neighbors that a woman had been knocking on various doors to request help. They were able to find the woman who had received apparent stab wounds. She had been assisted by a neighbor who was able to fashion a makeshift tourniquet to limit the bleeding. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital. Officers described her injuries as non-life-threatening. Johnson was found in the victim’s home after the incident and was taken into custody.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A significant fire on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids led to the home’s residents being displaced, according to officials. At around 3:21 p.m. Saturday, the Cedar Rapids Fire Department was sent to a report of the fire, with callers reporting visible flames and billowing black smoke. Firefighters got to the scene of a home with flames visible along the entire front side. Crews were able to use exterior and interior strategies to extinguish the flames. Nobody was hurt in the fire, which caused severe damage to the home. Two people inside of the home were able to escape safely, though they will not be able to live in the home in its current state. Firefighters believe the fire was started unintentionally.
MARTELLE, Iowa (KCRG) – One person was taken to a hospital after being involved in a rollover crash on Saturday morning. At around 10:24 a.m., the Linn County Sheriff’s Office was sent to a report of a crash involving one vehicle near the corner of Iowa Highway 1 and Lehr Road. Deputies believe a 2018 Nissan Rogue rolled at least one time, ending in the east ditch of Highway 1 north of the intersection. Based on interviews and an investigation, deputies think that the vehicle struck a culvert and traffic sign in the east ditch, causing it to roll. The driver of the vehicle was taken to Mercy Hospital in Iowa City via ambulance for treatment of unknown injuries. They were cited for failure to maintain control and expired registration.
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (KCRG) – An early morning house fire in North Liberty Saturday led to extensive damage to the home, according to firefighters. At around 2:57 a.m., the North Liberty Fire Department was sent to a report of a fire at a duplex in the 600 block of Rebecca Street. The report indicated that the residents of the home were stuck on the second floor’s deck. Firefighters were able to see fire on the exterior of the home extending toward the top of it, leading to the occupants needing to escape from the second floor and exit through a first-floor patio. Flames burned through the roof of the home while firefighters extinguished them. Firefighters said that the fire did not extend to the second unit of the duplex, and that it was under control by 3:56 a.m. No people were hurt in the fire, but a cat is unaccounted for.