NORTHWOOD, Iowa – Authorities say it took an armored vehicle and tear gas to end a standoff that shut down Interstate 35 in North Iowa Tuesday.
Moses Francisco Cruz, 53, is being held in the Worth County Jail on $12,000 bond and is facing charges of eluding, possession of a firearm by a felon, and interference with official acts. Iowa law enforcement says it was notified around 12:48 pm Tuesday about a chase out of Minnesota on I-35 after a driver was seen pointing a gun at other motorists.
An Iowa officer says a car matching the same description as the Minnesota chase was clocked doing 95 miles per hour before stop sticks brought it to a halt at the 214 mile marker on I-35 in Worth County. The highway was blocked off and court documents state the driver, identified as Cruz, clearly displayed a handgun several times.
Authorities say after a standoff of around an hour, Cruz slowly began to drive south until he was stopped by an armored vehicle near mile marker 212. Cruz reportedly continued to refuse to follow law enforcement instructions and kept displaying the handgun.
Officers say they put tear gas into Cruz’ vehicle and that’s when he finally surrendered and was taken into custody. Court documents state a handgun was found in Cruz’ vehicle with a loaded magazine but no bullet in the chamber.
Authorities say Cruz’ fingerprints were sent to the FBI and that it appears he has commonly given false names and other information to law enforcement throughout his life.
