Trish Mehaffey

Chris Cruz always planned to become a police officer but going to college changed his career path. He decided he wanted to stick around after the crime and help the victims “pick up the pieces.”

A 49-year-old Grimes man was sentenced to 50 years in prison, which is life sentence based on his age, for trying to kill 3 Cedar Rapids police officers in February during a standoff.

An Iowa City charged earlier this week is now accused in another sex abuse, but this time of a 5-year-old girl. He sexually abused the child in his car. On Tuesday, he was charged with sexually abusing a juvenile in his car.

An Iowa City man contacted a social media account set up by police and pursued a “girl” he believed was 15 years old to meet him for sex. He also sent sexually explicit photos of himself to the account.

A Cedar Rapids man was convicted last week on federal charges stemming from a drug deal gone bad near Kirkwood Community College last August. State charges were dismissed after he was indicted in federal court. He faces up to 40 years.

A Johnson County jury deliberated for two hours Friday before convicting a Chicago man of sexually assaulting an Iowa City woman in 2018. He faces 10 years in prison.

A judge moved a wrongful death civil trial back to Polk County for Cedar Rapids parents who are suing Adventureland Park over son’s water raft death in 2021.

A Grimes man faces what will be a life sentence for trying to kill three Cedar Rapids police officers during a standoff at The Chelsea Apartments in February. He pleaded to 3 charges of attempted murder and faces 50 years, which is mandatory because the victims were officers.

A Hiawatha man, convicted for human trafficking a minor and sex abuse, received a temporary delay of being sentenced to life in prison without parole after he told a judge he had issues with his lawyers and wanted new counsel for sentencing. His sentencing will be reset.

A judge won’t dismiss a first-degree murder charge against Andrew Shaw, accused of hiring two men to fatally stab Chris Bagley in 2018. The judge also ruled in favor of the defense to exclude some testimony.

Three brothers have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. They’re accused of tying down their 18-year-old brother who died. They said he had a schizophrenic episode and was acting out, threatening to harm his family and himself.

A Marion woman faces up to 20 years in federal prison for spending her child’s special needs trust funds on her online gambling and other expenses. The trust fund money came from personal injury lawsuit settlement paid by the Cedar Rapids Community School District in 2019. She was convicted last week for wire fraud in federal court.

The parents, who set up a video call app on a phone to watch their infant as they went outside, had no idea they would catch a predator sexually abusing their 3-month-old. The abuser was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison.

A Coralville women received a deferred prosecution for encouraging and assisting an Olin woman in a plan to kill herself. The Coralville woman won’t be prosecuted or 12 months if she gets a mental health evaluation and treatment. If she complies with the conditions, the prosecution will dismiss the charge.

The long-awaited trial for an Iowa City man accused of robbed and choking a woman on the University of Iowa campus in 2022 was expected to start April 1, but now has been reset again to July 8. The defendant, Ali Younes, fled to Jordan but returned to face trial.