Hunter
07/28/20
An Iowa City man found asleep on Interstate 380 has been charged with his third OWI.
Police reports indicate that officers came upon 32-year-old Isai Zapo Escribano of Regal Lane just after 5am Monday on the southbound portion of the interstate at the 7 mile marker, on the shoulder with his hazard lights on. He was asleep in the driver’s seat with the keys in the ignition.
The responding officer had to shake Zapo Escribano to wake him, and he allegedly had the strong odor of ingested alcohol and bloodshot watery eyes. Due to a language barrier, he was taken to Coralville Police where a Spanish-speaking officer conducted field tests. He completed a portion of the tests before allegedly stating that he couldn’t complete them because he was drunk. Zapo Escribano failed a PBT and a Datamaster reading reportedly showed a blood-alcohol level of .194 percent.
Zapo Escribano was convicted of OWI in Cedar County in 2013, and in Johnson County in 2016. He’s been charged with his third offense, a Class D felony punishable by a prison term of up to five years if convicted.