FAYETTE COUNTY — Northern Iowa deputies arrested a Guatemalan man after an injured woman allegedly fled a domestic assault and tried to flag down vehicles along a rural Fayette County road.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called at about 9:15 p.m. on April 8, 2026, after a 911 report of a female attempting to flag down vehicles in the 5,000 block of K Avenue. When deputies arrived, they found the woman injured and determined she was the victim of a domestic assault at a nearby residence.
Authorities said the woman’s four children were safely located by law enforcement and reunited with their mother.
The male suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Tomas Hernandez Garcia, of Guatemala, allegedly fled the area before deputies arrived. Law enforcement later found Garcia at a nearby property, according to the sheriff’s office.
After an investigation, Garcia was arrested and charged with domestic assault impeding air flow and injury, a Class D felony, and child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor.
Garcia (pictured at top) was taken into custody and transported to the Fayette County Jail, where he awaited an initial appearance. Jail information showed Garcia was booked into the jail at 12:48 a.m. on April 9, 2026, and remained in custody at the Fayette County Jail as of 10:56 a.m. on April 10, 2026.
Iowa Courts Online did not immediately show case details for the matter based on the information available. That does not confirm federal involvement, but it may leave open questions about whether additional proceedings, immigration-related action or charging decisions could be handled outside the currently visible state court record.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and Garcia is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.