Lang
10/24/26
Iowa City Police have charged a motorist with a felony after they allegedly passed a squad car with a vehicle that had no rear license plate, then voluntarily handed over the beverage container that was hiding her marijuana.
According to arrest records, an officer was driving southbound on Gilbert Street just before 4:30 Friday afternoon when they were passed by a 2015 Nissan Altima just north of the Kirkwood Avenue intersection. As the car drove by, the officer noticed it had no rear license plate, and a traffic stop was conducted. A check of the front license plate showed the registration expired in 2022.
The vehicle allegedly smelled of marijuana, but the driver…31-year-old Evelyn Rivera of Marion…denied having any marijuana inside the vehicle. During a probable cause search, Rivera reportedly asked the officer to hand her a Ghost energy drink that was inside the car. The officer claims that as they grabbed the drink, they noticed a marijuana blunt hidden inside. A THC vape pen was also reportedly found inside the vehicle.
Rivera is charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance – 3rd or Subsequent Offense. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.