A 28-year-old Creston man is facing 15 criminal charges after investigators say he assaulted two different women in separate incidents over several days, one of which ended when he crashed a stolen car into a tree while trying to escape officers. Kane Farlow was taken into custody early Wednesday following what authorities described as a multi-day domestic violence investigation across Union County.
The Creston Police Department and the Union County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest in a joint statement, saying it followed a multi-day investigation into several alleged domestic violence incidents, according to kjan.com. Investigators said the string of incidents occurred between Oct. 9 and Oct. 13. As KCCI reported, officers initially went to a home to arrest Farlow but he was not there when they arrived.
Several Days of Alleged Violence Against One Victim
According to kjan.com, Farlow fled from law enforcement in a motor vehicle on Oct. 9 while preventing the victim from exiting against her will. The outlet reported that on Oct. 11 and 12, he repeatedly restricted the victim's breathing, unlawfully confined her and prevented her from seeking emergency assistance. The woman sustained significant injuries but was able to escape and seek medical treatment at a nearby hospital, per weareiowa.com.
Even after she got away, the same outlet reports that Farlow continued attempting to contact her and allegedly made threats against her and her family. That timeline matches what Creston police told KCCI, which described Farlow as accused of assaulting a woman on several occasions and holding her against her will.
Second Victim Found Injured After Crash on 260th Street
A separate incident involved Farlow and a second woman who was reportedly being held against her will. KCCI reported that a separate domestic violence incident had been reported to the Union County Sheriff's Office near 260th Street in rural Union County. WeAreIowa reported that the criminal complaint alleges Farlow coerced the second victim into a vehicle during a fight, and that vehicle crashed on 260th Street.
The agency release and WeAreIowa reported that the second victim was found inside a residence with significant injuries and taken to a nearby hospital. Officers secured and searched a Creston residence where Farlow was suspected to be, but he was not there.
Chase Ends With Stolen Car Crashing Into a Tree
At around 12:11 a.m. Wednesday, officials approached a residence and saw Farlow flee on foot, according to weareiowa.com. He then got into a vehicle reportedly stolen from the first victim, crashed it into a tree, and was taken into custody — a sequence KCCI also confirmed, reporting that Farlow tried fleeing in a car after law enforcement arrived before crashing into the tree. Authorities have identified the suspect as Kane Allen Michael Farlow, according to kmaland.com.
Fifteen Charges, Including Strangulation and Firearm Counts
Farlow faces 15 criminal offenses in total, including two counts of domestic abuse assault involving strangulation with bodily injury and three counts of harassment tied to threatening a forcible felony, per weareiowa.com. The full list also includes violation of a no-contact or protective order, possession of a firearm or offensive weapon as a domestic-abuse offender, assault committed while a protective order was in place, motor-vehicle theft and driving while barred as a habitual offender.
The Creston Police Department and Union County Sheriff's Office emphasized that all criminal charges are accusations, and Farlow is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law, kjan.com reported. The agencies also said the investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges may be filed as warranted.
