Officials with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office have identified a man who was arrested Friday night following an incident in Massena. Authorities today (Monday), said 23-year old Taylor James Gardner was being held in the Cass County Jail on $6,000 bond. Gardner, whose last known address was listed as being in Massena, faces charges that include felony Unauthorized Possession of an Offensive Weapon,  Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Domestic Abuse Assault.

Taylor James Garnder (booking photo courtesy Cass Co. S/O)

As we first reported late Friday night, at around 8:02-p.m., Cass County Communications received a call from the Des Moines Police Department, with regard to a domestic situation in Massena. Shortly thereafter, the Comm Center received a 9-1-1 call from Massena. Dispatchers were able to ping the cell phone to determine a general area where the incident took place. McLaren and Deputy Ryan Johnson responded. Eventually, the residents at 101 Pine Street were contacted.

An adult male and adult female came out of a residence. The female was distraught, and advised an altercation had taken place with her boyfriend. At that time, the boyfriend (identified as Gardner) was inside the home, with a minor child. The deputies went inside the home and located the child and gave the child to its mother. They then repeatedly tried to make contact with the boyfriend, but were unable to do so.

The Communications Center advised deputies the subject might be armed, therefore the deputies left the home and requested assistance from other law enforcement officers. Deputies from Adair, Adams, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties, along with the Iowa State Patrol, all responded to the scene and set up a perimeter. MidWest MedAir was also notified and were enroute in case they were needed, but they were subsequently cancelled.

Gardner was seen by a family member going to an apartment in Massena, but a search revealed he was not there. He was later seen traveling on foot toward the Massena Sale Barn, and while the search efforts were concentrated at the area, a short time later, it was learned the subject was inside another residence occupied by a female. The deputies arrived and took Gardner into custody without incident a little after 10-p.m. He was unarmed.

A weapon was recovered after from the original residence once the scene was secured.