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| Northern Illinois wrestlers Brad Dieckhaus and Mason True are accused of assaulting University of Iowa sophomore Trent James (left and right). (Provided photos) |
Two Northern Illinois wrestlers were arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury on Feb. 27 in Iowa City, Iowa according to Iowa City police reports.
NIU junior Brad Dieckhaus and sophomore Mason True are accused of assaulting University of Iowa sophomore Trent James, leaving James with a bloody nose and mouth and extreme bruising to the face. James' father, Jeff, wrote in an e-mail to the Daily Chronicle that his son has a fractured nose.
True, 20, also was charged with public intoxication.
Dieckhaus and True were scheduled to have preliminary hearings on Thursday in Johnson County Court in Iowa. No trial date has been set. It is unknown why Dieckhaus and True were in Iowa City last weekend. Dieckhaus turned 21 the day after the arrest.
NIU wrestling coach Dave Grant released this statement on Thursday:
"We are currently looking into an incident involving two members of the Northern Illinois University wrestling team in Iowa City, Iowa, last weekend and will take appropriate actions as we learn more information."
Dieckhaus and True were not made available for comment. They each posted $1,000 bond on Monday.
It is not known whether True will wrestle in this weekend's MAC Championships, which start Saturday at Central Michigan. True has an 11-11 record this season at 174 pounds. Dieckhaus placed fourth in last year's MAC Championships but hasn't wrestled this season because of an injury.
According to the complaint regarding Dieckhaus, which the Daily Chronicle obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, officers were dispatched to 407 N. Dubuque St. for a report of a fight in progress. Dieckhaus was identified by witnesses as the one who threw the first punch.
The complaint also says that Trent James suffered the bloody nose and mouth as well as extreme bruising to the face from being punched several times as well as kicked in the face when he was on the ground.
The complaint regarding True, also obtained through a FOIA request, says that Trent James was kicked in the face by True. The complaint on True's public intoxication charge says that True had an odor of alcohol on his breath and slurred speech.
James is a 2008 Geneva High School graduate who lettered in football for the Vikings.
