A Cedar Rapids man was arrested Monday in North Liberty after he reportedly strangled his mother with an American flag and eluded a law enforcement vehicle while intoxicated.
The criminal complaint states that the mother of Adam Sotzen, 39, called police after he entered her North Liberty home to confront her about an earlier dispute.
She believed Sotzen was already intoxicated when he arrived, and upon entering, he allegedly shoved her to the ground. After being shoved, Sotzen’s mother got up and moved to a chair in her living room at which point Sotzen approached her, holding an American flag he had reportedly stolen from a nearby residence.
The complaint states that Sotzen twirled the flag into a rope and used it to choke his mother, stating she needed to die and calling her a derogatory name.
Sotzen’s mother fell from her chair and he continued to choke her as she laid face down on the ground. The complaint states that Sotzen’s mother believed he was going to kill her. When police arrived later, she was described as fearful and emotional, describing how she was unable to defend herself against her son due to their size difference.
The mother’s boyfriend intervened and pulled Sotzen off his mother, leading to another altercation in which Sotzen reportedly punched the boyfriend in the face and ribcage.
Sotzen then reportedly left the residence before law enforcement arrived and drove away while intoxicated.
Another officer identified his vehicle, which was speeding 10 miles over the limit, using the license plate number. Aware of the assault report, the officer initiated their emergency lights and siren, which Sotzen ignored.
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This led to a brief vehicular chase in which the officer reported Sotzen was driving 55 mph in a 30 mph zone in an attempt to evade the police. Sotzen pulled over a short distance later.
The complaint states that Sotzen exited his vehicle and dropped to his knees in the middle of the road. He is described as uncooperative and combative with law enforcement. The complaint also states that Sotzen appeared unbalanced and smelled strongly of alcohol.
The report states that Sotzen remained combative while being transported to the Johnson County jail, allegedly striking the partition inside the patrol vehicle.
He was booked on Monday at 3:35 p.m. and is being held on a $30,000 bond, facing multiple charges including attempted murder, a Class B felony, eluding while exceeding the speed limit by 25 mph or more, a Class D felony, as well as assault with intent to inflict serious injury and first-degree harassment, both aggravated misdemeanors.
Additionally, he faces a first-offense charge of operating while under the influence, classified as a serious misdemeanor.
A no-contact order was issued between Sotzen and his mother on the day of his arrest. His application for a public defender was approved, and he was assigned legal representation on Oct. 23.