An ongoing court case out of Mahaska County involves an Oskaloosa man now being held in jail following a failure to appear in court and the issuance of an arrest warrant.
On November 18 at approximately 4:45 p.m., the Oskaloosa Police Department was dispatched to the 400 block of South A Street in response to a reported domestic dispute. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the victim, who stated she had discovered her boyfriend, Brendan Craig, 28, of Oskaloosa, cheating and attempted to take his phone.
According to court documents, the situation escalated into a physical altercation. The victim described the incident as “an all-out brawl.” Officers observed multiple bruises, both old and fresh, on the victim’s forearms and upper chest, as well as fresh bite marks on her right arm.
Court filings state that Craig told officers the victim initiated the altercation and put her hands on him first. He also claimed he attempted to call 911 to leave the situation but was prevented from doing so by the victim. Officers reported observing no visible injuries on Craig.
The criminal complaint further states that Craig produced a white bag containing a white, crystal-like substance, which he identified as methamphetamine. Craig told officers he removed the substance from the victim, who denied that it belonged to her.
Craig was arrested and transported to the Mahaska County Jail. He was later released on a $2,000 cash-only bond. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance, second offense, an aggravated misdemeanor, and domestic assault causing injury or mental illness, first offense, a serious misdemeanor.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for December 18, followed by an arraignment set for December 23. Craig failed to appear for the arraignment. As a result, the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office requested a warrant for his arrest on January 12. The warrant was served on January 15, and Craig is currently being held in the Mahaska County Jail.
A no-contact order was issued on November 19 and remains in effect. An initial appearance hearing is scheduled for January 23. No bond has been set at this time. In addition to the original charges, Craig is also charged with arrest without a warrant.
