Authorities in Pottawattamie County say a Nebraska man was arrested Tuesday morning on numerous charges in the northwestern part of the County, following a manhunt. Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Dwayne Riche told KJAN News 28-year old Louis Enrique Cruz-Guzman, of Bellevue, NE, was taken into custody at around 11:37-a.m. after being flushed out of an embankment near a creek by a Pott. County K-9 unit about 6-miles north-northeast of Council Bluffs. Sgt. Riche says the incident began when authorities received word at around 7:50-a.m., that a man matching Cruz-Guzman’s description was on the property of the Hazel-Dell Township Cemetery at about 250^th and Juniper Road. At around 10:15-a.m., deputies were called to L-34 and Badger Avenue for a report the same subject was walking toward Weston Avenue. 

A property owner in the area, Brian Driver, saw Cruz-Guzman walking on his property carrying a claw hammer Driver believed came from a shed or outbuilding on his property.  When Driver confronted the man and said he was going to call the Sheriff’s Office, Cruz-Guzman took off on foot through a corn field headed toward a wooded creek line. Moments later, Phil Cock, who was on an ATV fixing fences, saw the suspect running toward the creek in the vicinity of Juniper Road and L-34. 

A deputy who responded to the scene hopped on the ATV with Cock and together the men began a search for Cruz-Guzman. At that same time, authorities received another report the same man allegedly stole a bicycle from a female residents’ backyard, and was trying to get away. The suspect abandoned the bike and once again took off on foot. Numerous agencies responded to conduct a search for the man, including the Iowa State Patrol and a Pott. County K-9 unit.  Area schools were notified about the incident and placed on “lock-down,” as a security measure. As the K-9 “Francisco,” and his handler, Deputy Brian Miller, began walking the creek line, the suspect heard the team approaching and surrendered to the State Patrol near the 14.5-mile marker of Interstate 80. Cruz-Guzman was wearing only his boxer shorts, as his shoes, pants and shirt were frozen and discarded in the water. 

Cruz-Guzman was arrested on a warrant out of Boone County, Iowa, for Probation Revocation and Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Deliver. He was also charged in Pottawattamie County, with Burglary in the 3^rd Degree…2 counts of Trespassing…Interference with Official Acts and Theft in the 5^th Degree. He was being held this (Wednesday) morning in the Pott. County Jail on $10,000 bond.