Floyd County charges filed on man arrested in recent Nora Springs standoff

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A Minnesota man arrested after a standoff with law enforcement in Nora Springs recently is facing charges in Floyd County District Court.

Nathaniel Jon Fritz, age 38, who lists his address on court documents as Nora Springs, was taken into custody last week on a Minnesota felony arrest warrant, after what authorities describe as a 3½-hour standoff.

He has now been charged with domestic abuse by choking, a Class D felony. According to the complaint filed in Floyd County District Court, Fritz impeded the normal breathing of the alleged victim, and physically assaulted her by throwing a screwdriver at her and hitting her in the face.

He was also charged with two instances of domestic assault, one an aggravated misdemeanor and the other a serious misdemeanor, for actions that allegedly took place in July, and charged with interference with official acts, a simple misdemeanor, for initially refusing to be taken into custody during the alleged standoff last week.

According to information from the Iowa State Patrol, Nora Springs police officers and Floyd County deputies approached a residence in Nora Springs at 12:36 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2, after observing Fritz in the home.

Officers entered the home and found interior doors and windows “to be barricaded shut,” the Iowa State Patrol said.

The Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team and negotiators were called to the scene to assist in apprehending Fritz. After negotiations, Fritz was taken into custody at 4:14 p.m., the State Patrol said.

According to the Minnesota Department of Corrections, Fritz had been sought since May 10 on a felony domestic assault charge in Crow Wing County, northwest of Minneapolis.

The Minnesota Public Criminal Record website, which lists convictions within the last 15 years, shows Fitz has been convicted of several instances of domestic abuse, many instances of violating no-contact orders, damage to property, assault, terroristic threats, assaulting probation officers, theft, forgery and receiving stolen property, totaling more than 20 felony convictions since 2005.

Fritz is being held in the Floyd County Jail under $5,000 cash only bond on the felony charge and $3,000 cash bond on the aggravated misdemeanor assault charge.