Iowa City 16-Year-Old Charged With Felony Robbery, Threatening Witness; Being Tried as Adult

An Iowa City teenager is facing a serious felony robbery charge after allegedly stealing money at gunpoint .

According to Iowa City police, the accused juvenile called for a to be delivered at the 1700 block of Deforest Avenue on April 23 at 11:57 p.m. The female driver told police she had been approached there by a Hispanic or white male who pointed a bag at her with what looked to her like a gun inside and demanded money, threatening to shoot her.

When the victim gave the man money, he threatened to shoot her in the head if she didn't give him more money. He then left with $20 and two pizzas, according to the complaint.

The juvenile was arrested for that crime on Monday. On Thursday, he was arrested again for allegedly going to the victim's house and threatening to harm her if she testified in court.

Vanessa Miller of the Gazette writes that the juvenile will be tried as an adult, which is still fairly rare in the county:

Two other juveniles who have been charged with felonies or aggravated misdemeanors in Iowa City in the last four months have had their cases kept in adult court, according to officials with the Sheriff’s Office.

First-degree robbery is a class B felony, and tampering with a witness or juror is an aggravated misdemeanor. The juvenile is being held in a facility outside of the jail on a $50,000 cash-only bond, according to the Gazette.

Iowa City Patch has chosen not to provide the identity of the juvenile charged in this case.