CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (KCRG) – A Cedar Falls man is facing charges after police say he led them on a car chase through Cedar Falls late Monday night and was armed with a knife when police caught and arrested him. Cedar Falls Police say they tried to pull over 40-year-old Benjamin Kreimeyer near Grove Street and University Avenue. They said Kreimeyer was known to have active arrest warrants in Black Hawk County. Police said he led them on a chase through Cedar Falls before going off of the road into a field. That’s when police said he got out of the car and continued fleeing on foot before showing he was carrying a knife. Police arrested Kreimeyer near Pine and 7th Street in Janesville. He faces charges of eluding, reckless driving, multiple traffic violations and interference with official acts while displaying a dangerous weapon in addition to the three warrants. No one was hurt.
NORWAY, Iowa (KCRG) – A Norway man has entered a plea of guilty after an 18-hour standoff with police. On February 23, The Benton County Sheriff’s Office was called to a home in the 400 block of Lehnen Street in Norway, Iowa. According to a criminal complaint, neighbors reported hearing 25 shots fired outside the home. When officers arrived on scene, they heard shots being fired from within the home. Police called the homeowner, 35-year-old Nathan Varese. Deputies said they tried to negotiate a surrender throughout the evening hours on Sunday. By around 2:30 a.m. on Monday, deputies and an FBI Omaha SWAT team conducted a search warrant. Varese surrendered at around 3:15 a.m. Last week, Varese entered a plea of guilty to interference with official acts with a firearm, possession of a controlled substance and persons ineligible to carry dangerous weapons. His sentencing is set for June 19.
ALTOONA, Iowa (KCRG) – Court documents show a judge has ruled park inspectors are not liable for the death of an 11-year-old boy on the Raging River ride at Adventureland. Michael Jaramillo died when his raft on the ride capsized in July 2021. Court documents from the ruling cited what is called public duty-doctrine. This refers to protections for government entities from liability for breaches of duty owed to the public. His family is suing the previous park owners, citing negligence and poor inspections of the ride. The trial is set for June.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – A man was arrested in Iowa City on Monday after police said he broke into a home and threatened to kill everyone there. According to a criminal complaint, 31-year-old Fermin Lagos entered a home uninvited in the 1200 block of Tracy Lane at around 7:41 p.m. The complaint says Lagos was carrying a machete-style knife and told everyone inside the home they were going to die. Lagos is charged with First Degree Burglary.
