Storm Lake man arrested after threat, struggle with officers on Lincoln Road

Police jailed Storm Lake man Julio Hernandez Villegas after he threatened to shoot a person on the North Side and physically resisted officers.

The confrontation unfolded around 4:15 a.m. June 21 in the 600 block of Lincoln Road after a report of suspicious activity.

The victim told officers a man had approached and tried to sell narcotics, then warned he would shoot them if they contacted law enforcement. A separate blotter account placed the alleged solicitation at 4:13 a.m. on East 12th Street. Officers were told the suspect was wearing a “23” jersey. Police identified the man as 26-year-old Julio Hernandez Villegas.

Officers found Hernandez Villegas nearby a short time later and he physically resisted as they tried to take him into custody. During the struggle, an officer suffered minor injuries. Officers found narcotics in Hernandez Villegas’ pockets during the search incident to arrest, and no weapon was listed in the arrest details.

Hernandez Villegas was booked into the Buena Vista County Jail at 411 Expansion Blvd. in Storm Lake and was being held on a $13,300 bond. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, first-degree harassment, interference with official acts causing bodily injury and public intoxication.

The drug charge is a Class C felony under Iowa law. First-degree harassment is an aggravated misdemeanor when it involves a threat to commit bodily injury, and the interference charge reflects the injury to the officer during the arrest. Public intoxication is a simple misdemeanor.

The department has 20 sworn officers, along with one civilian staff member, two volunteer chaplains and a volunteer physician who serves as the tactical team medic.