(Stuart, Iowa) – Officials with the Stuart Police Department, early this (Tuesday) morning, posted information with regard to two incidents that resulted in separate arrests Monday afternoon. The first incident occurred as Stuart officers were preparing to execute a search warrant at around 2:15-p.m., in the 600 block of SW 6th Street. Authorities say Skeet Weston Miller, of Stuart, was wanted for domestic abuse assault impeding flow of air/blood, harassment 1st degree, burglary 1st degree, and willful injury-causing bodily injury.

Officers noticed that Miller’s bicycle – his only means of transportation – had left the residence.  At around 2:20 p.m., Police located his bicycle at a residence in the 200 block of N. Western St.  Officers from several law enforcement agencies responded to secure the scene. Authorities discovered that Miller was hiding in a garage on the property. He surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody on the arrest warrants without incident.

As that incident was concluding, at around 3:27-p.m., several 911 calls came in reporting a man chasing people with a knife in the 600 block of SW 7th Street, in Stuart. A few Officers left the first scene to respond and upon arrival were told by witnesses that the knife weilding man had threatened multiple people with the knife, had slashed tires and was also carrying a one year old child as a hostage.

The reported prompted a much larger response from several law enforcement agencies. Officers made entry into the man’s apartment and found the suspect – identified as Hunter Davis Vanwyk, of Stuart – still holding the child and refusing to follow commands. A Stuart Officer was able to convince Vanwyk to sit down on a couch in the apartment. The Stuart Officer and an Adair County Deputy were able to secure his hands while a third Deputy removed the child from his grasp.

Vanwyk was taken into custody and transported to the Adair County Jail, where he was charged with two counts of harassment 1st degree, two counts of domestic abuse assault, child endangerment, as well as going armed with intent.

The child was not injured during the ordeal.  Stuart Police were was assisted by Officers from the Adair and Guthrie County Sheriff’s Offices, the Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Department of Transportation at both scenes.