Hunter
02/23/26
An Iowa City man was arrested Friday night after allegedly stealing a vehicle.
According to court documents, 39-year-old Joseph Velazquez of Morgan Court was stopped near the intersection of Gilbert Street and Stevens Drive just before 10:45pm and arrested for driving a moped reported stolen earlier in the day. When pressed, he alleged that he borrowed the vehicle from someone downtown, but didn’t know their name or contact information.
A search of his person post arrest allegedly found a knife with a 5 ½ inch blade. Velazquez is a convicted felon and as such is ineligible to carry dangerous weapon.
Velazquez was charged with Operating a vehicle without consent, 2nd degree Theft, Driving while Suspended, and Person Ineligible to Carry Dangerous Weapons. If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 8 years in prison.