Lang
8/27/22
A Wisconsin man accused of two Iowa City home invasions has entered a not guilty plea.
The incident started with an August 3rd traffic stop near the intersection of South Riverside Drive and Highway 6 East. 41-year-old Rick Wappler of Cascade, Wisconsin reportedly told an officer he was on the run from law enforcement. Police say Wappler then grabbed a knife and threatened to kill the officer before driving away. The pursuit was ended due to the risk to public safety.
Later that night the ICPD received a report of a hit-and-run crash, a robbery and a carjacking in the 100 block of Prairie Hill Lane. Arriving officers located Wappler inside a vehicle, and a standoff began. Law enforcement then learned of an earlier additional break-in in the same block.
Officers took Wappler into custody after approximately three hours of negotiations. An Iowa City officer fired his weapon once during the incident, but Wappler was not hit.
Wappler is charged with two counts of 1st Degree Burglary, 1st Degree Robbery, and Going Armed with Intent and one count each of 1st Degree Theft and Eluding. If convicted on all charges, Wappler could be sentenced to a maximum of 130 years in prison.
On Friday, Judge Justin Lightfoot set a trial date of December 13th, with a cases management conference scheduled for October 28th.