Dubuque, Iowa – On February 24, 2026, 21-year-old Edwin Jaheim Ventura Cruz was sentenced to five years in prison in Iowa District Court, Dubuque County (Case No. 01311 FECR159527), after pleading guilty to domestic abuse assault impeding air or blood flow causing bodily injury (Iowa Code 708.2A(5)), a Class D felony.

•  Offense date: May 2, 2025

•  Plea: Negotiated guilty plea

•  Judge: Monica L. Zrinyi Ackley

•  Sentence details:

•  5 years prison (consecutive)

•  $1,025 fine + $1,025 suspended fine

•  DNA sample required

•  No restitution, batterer program, or license revocation ordered

This conviction addresses a separate incident from Cruz’s widely reported 2025 group-violence cases:

•  June 2025: Arrest linked to fights near Comiskey Park (charges included participation in a riot, willful injury).

•  September 2025: Arrest after assault near 22nd and Prince Streets (charges included riot participation, first-degree harassment, assault causing injury).

The May domestic abuse case involved interpersonal violence rather than public rioting. The full five-year maximum sentence for a Class D felony, imposed consecutively, indicates judicial view of the offense’s severity—strangulation-style assaults carry heightened danger and enhanced penalties.

No appeals reported as of late February 2026. Full records available via Iowa Courts Online or Dubuque County Clerk of Court.

The case highlights Dubuque’s ongoing challenges with youth violence and domestic abuse, showing how distinct incidents can lead to significant incarceration through plea resolutions.

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