The Council Bluffs Police Department reports a man who became disoriented and drove his vehicle off an overpass early this (Friday) morning, was not seriously injured. 55-year old Jeffrey L. Porter, of Council Bluffs, was traveling east on the Avenue G viaduct at around 3:25-a.m., when his vehicle drifted onto the sidewalk.

Image from the Council Bluffs P-D Facebook page.

The vehicle then proceeded to crash through a section of chain-link fence before plunging nearly 25-feet and landing on its roof. Authorities say Porter was likely saved from serious injury because he was wearing his seat belt. The man was transported to Jennie Edmundson hospital as a precautionary measure, and later released.

Alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the crash.

U-S Senator Joni Ernst (A Republican from Red Oak), will hold a Town Hall meeting in Mills County next week, as part of her 99 county tour across Iowa. The meeting, which takes place 8:30-a.m. March 24th at the Glenwood City Hall, is open to the public.

In a follow-up to our report Thursday morning, additional details have been released about the arrest of a Glenwood woman who faces 11 felony counts of Dependent Adult Abuse and one felony count of Ongoing Criminal Conduct. According to the Daily NonPareil, 35-year old Tonya Fustos was arrested Tuesday after an investigation was conducted done by State of Iowa’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

She was released Wednesday without having to post bond, but is expected to make all of her court dates. Fustos’ next court appearance will be a preliminary hearing on March 30th. If convicted of ongoing criminal conduct, Fustos could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. She could face up to five years in prison on each dependent adult abuse charge.

According to court documents, Fustos, while acting as the director for caregivers for dependent adults, committed a series of financial exploitation violations from August of 2014 to February of 2015. Assistant Pottawattamie County Attorney Shelly Sudmann, who will prosecute the case, said Fustos hired her husband’s painting company to paint the rooms of the dependent adults. Fustos reportedly charged the residents more than $100 for the work.

According to the arrest affidavit, Fustos allegedly directed her employees to use the dependents’ personal funds to pay for the invoices. Sudmann likened the allegations to renting an apartment and being asked to pay for maintenance, even though you are already paying rent. Sudmann also said it did not look like all the billed work was actually done.

At the time of the alleged financial exploitation violations, Fustos worked as a director for Developmental Services of Iowa. She currently works for AmeriHealth Caritas. Fustos has been ordered not to advise clients on their accounts until her case is resolved.