MASON CITY – A Mason City man who lost his appeal on convictions of felony domestic abuse with strangulation and drunk driving with his child in the car turned himself in Tuesday and is awaiting a trip to Coralville.
Aaron Michael Hermen, age 26, is now in the Cerro Gordo County Jail awaiting transport to the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville to serve concurrent sentences of 5 years (third offense drunk driving), 2 years (felony domestic abuse with strangulation) and 2 years (child endangerment).
The Iowa court of appeals upheld the guilty pleas of Hermen on the charges of domestic abuse assault by strangulation, OWI third offense, and child endangerment. He had contended in his appeal that his trial counsel was ineffective in not objecting to the State’s supposed breach of the plea agreement and the trial court abused its discretion in sentencing. Hermen had been free on bond ever since he appealed and posted bond in July of 2013, that is until he violated a no-contact order with the victim in December of 2013. He was later released from jail once again. He also now owes $10,575.76 in fines and court fees.
Hermen, on February 16, 2013, committed the domestic abuse assault at his home while intoxicated and then fled his house in his vehicle with his 19-month-old child inside the vehicle. Hermen struck a utility pole with the vehicle as he was fleeing, breaking the pole off its base. Police said it was fortunate that the pole remained upright as the utility wires stayed intact and kept the pole from falling to the ground. He was later caught in the Highlands neighborhood and he was taken into custody. The child was not in the vehicle at the time of the stop but officers were able to locate the child at a relative’s home and appeared to be uninjured.
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