A Perry man compounded his alleged offenses Thursday morning when he threatened to kill the Perry Police Department officers who arrested him for OWI.
Jonathan de Jesus Corado-Melendrez, 22, of 914 Central St., Perry, was charged with first-offense OWI, first-offense public intoxication, open container and two counts of first-degree harassment.
The incident began when officers responded to a complaint of erratic driving about 4:45 a.m. Thursday. The suspect vehicle was located at a gas station on Iowa Highway 141 at First Avenue, and officers observed “numerous open alcoholic beverages in the front passenger seat and one in the center cup holder,” according to court records.
The officers made contact with Corado-Melendrez, who was found to have “blood-shot eyes, slurred speech” and “a strong odor of ingested alcohol coming from his person,” according to court records. He “admitted to driving the vehicle to the gas station” and was placed under arrest for OWI.
As the officers searched Corado-Melendrez, he “began to make threats to officers that he was going to beat the officers up, stab them and kill them.” According to a criminal complaint filed by one of the officers, Corado-Melendrez “said he would kill me. After we arrived at the Perry Police Department, he said he would slit my throat and shoot me on the street.”
A no-contact order was issued Thursday against Corado-Melendrez by Dallas County Magistrate Andrea Flanagan.
Corado-Melendrez is held at the Dallas County Jail on a $2,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 6 in Dallas County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
