HUTCHINSON, Kan. – A 47-year-old Cedar Park, Texas man was arrested just after 10 p.m. Sunday for four counts of aggravated battery.
John Arlen Swartz made a first appearance via-video from the Reno County Correctional Facility where he told the judge that it was a family fight and that the victim is now lying.
According to the Reno County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was dispatched to the Kwik Shop in Nickerson where one of the victims told of being battered at his brothers residence. He told the deputy that Swartz began swinging at him in a trailer park in that city. During the struggle, the victim was allegedly bitten on his upper left arm. The deputy says he could see the bite mark. He also had an abrasion to one of his lips from being struck.
The victim went to leave with his wife and stepson and that Swartz then followed them and said he was going to kill his family. He then at some point allegedly rammed his vehicle into the victims three times, the first as they were stopped at a stop sign. He claimed after deputies made contact with him that he did ram the back of the victims vehicle, but said that only happened because he couldn’t stop in time and says it only happened one time.
Swartz was taken to jail on the charges as well as a warrant for another case where he is charged with violation of a protection from abuse order.
Bond for the two cases totaled $50,000. Magistrate Judge Cheryl Allen lowed the bond for the new charges from $35,000 to $10,000. The bond for the other case was set at $1,500 and that was left the same and he was able to post the bonds.
Swartz will be back in court on Nov. 23, for the formal reading of charges.