Robert Lee Kraft III, 39, faces charges of third-or-subsequent-offense domestic abuse assault and first-degree burglary after an alleged domestic incident in Adel late Thursday. Victims who spoke to officers and court records allege that he forced his way into a residence and assaulted a woman. Kraft was taken into custody and held on a $40,000 cash-or-surety bond.
According to ThePerryNews, the incident began around 11:30 p.m. Thursday at a residence in the 29400 block of Old Portland Road in Adel, where Adel Police Department officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance. Kraft lives at 29456 Old Portland Road, according to the report.
Court records cited by the outlet allege that Kraft entered the residence unlawfully and pushed the woman’s head into a wall. The records describe a red mark on the right side of her face and a swollen lip.
Repeat Offense Charge Tied to Prior Convictions
Court records cited in the report list three earlier domestic abuse assault convictions for Kraft: one in 2015 in Carroll County District Court, one in 2018 in Story County District Court and one in 2019 in Polk County District Court.
How Iowa law classifies the charges
The two charges carry different classifications under Iowa law. Iowa Code section 708.2A classifies a third-or-subsequent domestic abuse assault as a class D felony. Iowa Code section 713.3 classifies first-degree burglary as a class B felony when a burglary in an occupied structure with a person present involves a specified aggravating circumstance, such as intentionally or recklessly inflicting bodily injury. Both charges remain allegations unless proved in court.
For broader context, KCCI reported that an Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence report using Uniform Crime Reporting Program data found domestic-violence deaths in Iowa increased 52% between 2021 and 2024. That statewide fatality figure does not establish a trend in Adel assault cases or show whether nonfatal assaults increased.
Kraft was booked into the Dallas County Jail, where he remained held on the $40,000 bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on November 10 in Dallas County District Court. The Iowa Judicial Branch’s guide to criminal court procedure says a preliminary hearing follows a defendant’s initial appearance and is intended to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to continue the case.
Other Recent Adel Cases
The Kraft case is one of several domestic abuse allegations the same outlet has reported involving Adel residents. In a separate case, Marquis Dayshay Thomas, 26, of Adel was arrested on a charge of second-offense domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury or mental illness; that report said the alleged victim was held against her will and was, in her words, in fear for her life at that moment. Thomas was held in the Dallas County Jail on a $2,000 cash-or-surety bond, and the report notes he was convicted of domestic abuse assault involving impeding the flow of air or blood in 2022 in Polk County District Court.
Another earlier report from the outlet described an Adel man arrested after allegedly assaulting an Adel woman in their home.
As with any criminal case, the charges against Kraft represent an accusation rather than a determination of guilt. The report notes that a criminal charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
