Love On the Rocks: Urbandale Domestic Assaults

April 30: Benjamin J. Hector, 33, of Urbandale was charged with simple misdemeanor domestic abuse in connection with an incident with his 30-year-old girlfriend.

Police were sent to the couple's residence in the 4000 block of 64th street after dispatchers received a 911 call in which they could hear yelling and fighting, said Lt. Rob Johansen. 

Hector is accused of throwing a bottle at the woman, then grabbing her, throwing her on the ground and taking her phone from her. The woman was not injured, Johansen said.

April 30: Rodney J. Wells, 24, of Urbandale was charged with domestic assault with injury.   His girlfriend, 22, came to the Urbandale police station the day after the incident and told police that Wells punched her in the face, and struck her in the back of the head with a closed fist at their room at the Motel Relax. 

According to Polk County Jail records, Wells has been arrested twice in the past year on domestic assault charges and once on a trespassing charge.

April 27: Machelle R. Croft, 39, of Bloomfield was charged with simple misdemeanor domestic abuse of a 35-year-old Urbandale man at the Econono Lodge Hotel, 10841 Douglas Ave.

According to the police report, Croft called police during a fight she was having with her boyfriend. Johansen said that after talking to both, police determined that Croft was the aggressor.

"He claims he'd gotten up and she 'flips out,' according to his words. She wanted money and he wouldn't give her any money.  She was grabbing his arms as he was trying to leave and get on his bicycle. Her fingernail left a cut on his hand," said Johansen.