Hunter
12/20/21
An Iowa City man who was arrested last week after being found driving a stolen car faces a burglary charge after property taken from a Coralville hotel was discovered on his person.
Police say that they ran the plates on a 2008 Kia heading southbound on the 600 block of 12th Avenue in Coralville around 2:30 am last Thursday and discovered it had been reported stolen out of Iowa City. A stop was conducted and the driver was identified as 34-year-old Darryl Minniefield.
Minniefield reportedly had bloodshot watery eyes and slurred speech. A search of the vehicle allegedly turned up an open bottle of Jim Beam whiskey that Minniefield admitted to drinking. A used needle was also reportedly found on the driver’s side of the vehicle with blood on the tip. Minniefield allegedly admitted to being the owner of the already-used needle.
He refused to field sobriety and all chemical testing. Minniefield was arrested and faces up to over nine years in prison on charges of 2nd degree Theft, OWI second offense, Driving while Barred, possession of drug paraphernalia, and violation of the Open Container law.
On December 15th, police now say Minniefield, of South Gilbert Court, was at the Heartland Inn on 2nd Street in Coralville at approximately 7:30 am, but not as a registered guest. He allegedly went into the employee break room without permission. Surveillance shows Minniefield seemingly putting something into his pocket, and an employee reported that their phone was stolen from the break room.
Police now say that Minniefield had the stolen phone on his person when they arrested him early Thursday morning. He faces additional charges of 3rd degree Burglary, a Class D Felony that could add up to another five years to his sentence.