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New warrants issued in Avenue M West fight

Police say Zion Smith and Jaylen Rodgers may have left Fort Dodge

Two more suspects are being sought in connection with a fight last week on Avenue M West in which a man was beaten and stomped, causing a broken eye socket.

The Fort Dodge Police Department has identified the suspects as Zion Smith, 18, and Jaylen Rodgers, 18. They’re both charged with willful injury causing serious injury.

Neither has been arrested, and both have warrants out for their arrest.

Police Capt. Ryan Gruenberg said the men are not from the Fort Dodge area, though it wasn’t stated where they’re from.

He said officers responded to the 300 block of Avenue M West at 11:50 p.m. Oct. 29 after receiving information that 30 to 40 people had gathered, and that a fight was also happening.

But when officers arrived, the crowd had dispersed and nobody in the area said they knew anything about what happened.

More than an hour later, officers were dispatched to the emergency room at UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center for a report of an assault.

Officers learned that the man had been assaulted in the incident at Avenue M West.

Two suspects were initially arrested on willful injury charges shortly after the incident; Jesse Driver Jr., 19, and Darryl Kelley, 20, both of Danville, Illinois.

Both men were football players at Iowa Central Community College.

According to the criminal complaints filed against the men, they allegedly stomped on the victim and broke his eye socket.

Both Driver and Kelley have preliminary hearings set for Thursday.

Gruenberg said, since Smith and Rodgers are not from the area, it’s believed that they may no longer be in the city.

He asked anyone with information to contact the Fort Dodge Police Department at 573-1426 or Webster County Crime Stoppers at 573-1444. Tips can also be anonymously submitted online at wccrimestoppers.com or by texting “LEC” and the tip to 274637.

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