CHARLES CITY – A Charles City man cops say choked a pregnant woman says he is not guilty and now he and his public defender await trial.
Charles City police officers were called to an alleged domestic abuse incident on Saturday, March 22, 2025. At 2:19 PM that afternoon, police went to the 400 block of 16th Avenue to investigate the incident.
The next day, officers located 29-year-old Mario Joseph Hughes of Charles City, and arrested him on the following charges:
– DOMESTIC ABUSE ASSAULT INVOLVING CHOKING OF A PREGNANT PERSON – CLASS D FELONY
– DOMESTIC ABUSE ASSAULT CAUSING BODILY INJURY – SERIOUS MISDEMEANOR
Hughes (pictured at top) was taken to the Floyd county jail that morning and soon released on his own recognizance. A no-contact order was placed on Hughes as a result of the case against him, and he was appointed a public defender.
At a May 6 arraignment, Hughes entered a plea of not guilty, and a judge set a date for a pre-trail conference on June 13. The judge also scheduled a jury trial for July 3 at 8:30 AM.
Records show Hughes was in Mason City on April 24 and was was ticketed by police for no insurance and no seatbelt.