Des Moines man charged with kidnapping, beating man who needed surgery to recover

A Des Moines man is facing several felony charges after officials say he severely beat another man in the head to the point that the man required surgery to recover. 

Nathan Emmanul Rascon, 32, was charged early Wednesday with a half-dozen charges that include first-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, willful injury, felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and drug tax stamp violation. 

A criminal complaint says that on March 10, 2018, Rascon removed a male victim from a vehicle and took him behind a house, where he hit him on the head repeatedly with his hands and with pistols.

The victim lost consciousness and sustained a brain bleed, the complaint said. Rascon also doused the man in gasoline. During the beating, police said Rascon took the man's wallet and cellphone.

The criminal complaint said the victim required surgery to recover from the brain bleed and spent several days in intensive care followed by rehabilitation. 

Authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of robbery, kidnapping and willful injury in July. They found Rascon on Tuesday in a vehicle near the QuikTrip in the 3700 block of Hubbell Avenue and arrested him.

They also found about 30 grams of meth and a pistol in the vehicle, a criminal complaint said. 

Rascon was booked into Polk County Jail early Wednesday morning. He was being held on $150,000 bond.