Lang
3/19/26
A mobile home resident accused of intentionally striking five people with his car near an Iowa City homeless camp has entered guilty pleas.
According to arrest reports, 29-year-old Roman Aguilar Ventura of the Hilltop manufactured housing community intentionally drove his 2011 Toyota Camry into five people near the intersection of Southgate Avenue and Waterfront Drive just before 10:45 on the night of August 15th, 2025, then fled to the nearby Waterfront Hy-Vee parking lot. One of his hubcaps was left at the scene.
One person suffered a gash to their forehead, another had a cut on their leg, a third suffered an injury to the back of their neck, and the other two complained of pain. Police say Aguilar Ventura and his alleged victims had been involved in a dispute prior to the incident.
Aguilar Ventura was charged with five counts each of Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury and Assault Using a Weapon and one count each of Operating While Intoxicated – 3rd or Subsequent Offense, Leaving the Scene of an Injury Accident, Driving While Barred, and Driving While Revoked. If convicted on all charges, he would have faced a maximum of 44 years in prison.
Earlier this week Aguilar Ventura agreed to plead guilty to the OWI charge, two willful injury charges, three of the assault charges, and the driving while denied and revoked charges. Defense attorneys want all of the sentences to run concurrent over five years, but prosecutors are asking for consecutive sentences that could lead to a 20-year prison sentence.
Sentencing is set for May 21st.