Monona Iowa Police Department

05/29/2026

05/27/2026

05/20/2026

UPDATE: Monona Police Department Press Release

On May 13, 2026, at approximately 7:27 p.m., the Monona Police Department was dispatched to 206 South Page Street in Monona for a reported stabbing.

Monona PD officers arrived quickly on scene and located Nicholas John Martins-Leshinski of Monona outside a residence suffering from multiple stab wounds. Officers immediately applied a tourniquet, and Nicholas John Martins-Leshinski was then transported by Monona Ambulance to a neighboring hospital for treatment. It was determined that John Axil Martins-Saborio, 19, of Monona, stabbed Nicholas John Martins-Leshinski (suspects brother) multiple times following an argument, causing multiple lacerations. Nicholas John Martins-Leshinski was released from the hospital the day following the incident and is expected to make a full recovery.

During the investigation, it was determined John Axil Martins-Saborio had barricaded himself on the second floor of the residence, where he had access to multiple fi****ms, and refused to exit.

After multiple attempts to get John Axil Martins-Saborio to exit the residence, the Clayton County CERT Team was deployed and made entry into the home. John Axil Martins-Saborio was located deceased from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

This remains an active investigation.

The Monona Police Department was assisted by the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, Elkader Police Department, Postville Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Prairie du Chien Police Department, Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Clayton County CERT Team, Monona Ambulance, and Clayton County Dispatch.

*FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE*
Monona Police Department Press Release
-Chief Mitchell Jipson

05/19/2026

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05/18/2026

A Lansing man is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder of a peace officer, after he allegedly fired at a deputy during a pursuit.

05/14/2026

Just a friendly reminder:

Iowa is a “hands-free” from electronic devices state, as we will be focusing on this violation more closely.

There is a lot of confusion about this law, so here’s what you need to know:

The State of Iowa went into effect on July 1, 2025 and provided an initial warning period until December 31st of last year. In January, 2026, it became “enforceable” to those who continued to violate this law.

It is dangerous. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of crashes in Iowa. In a survey, 90% of Iowans consider using a cell phone to be “extremely dangerous” and even so, 50% admit to driving with one in their hand.

So, hands-free means just that. If you are manually holding or operating a device while driving, it is prohibited. There are certain exceptions for public safety personnel, healthcare professionals or emergency situations.

You are permitted to use voice-activated functions on your device(s). You must be completely off the travel portion of the roadway to manually operate a device.

We want you to be safe. We have included a quick information guide pictured below.

Fines range from $100 to $850, and can include even higher penalties if the violation results in injury or death.

For more information on further specifics, please visit dps.iowa.gov/hands-free-law-materials and DriveSmartIowa.com.

Thank you for helping keep our streets safer. We appreciate your voluntary cooperation. Give us a call if you have any questions.

05/14/2026