Iowa City Police: Man Found Passed Out in Running Parked Car with Young Daughter in Backseat

An Iowa City man is facing child endangerment and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated charges after he was allegedly discovered incapacitated in a parked car with the motor running and his daughter in the back seat.

According to Iowa City Police complaints, on Feb. 15 at 3:345 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area at the intersection of Church and Dodge Streets for the report of a man who "was passed out in the driver's seat with a young child in the passenger seat."

Arriving at the scene, the officer was greeted by two bystanders who said they had noticed the running car with the child in the back and that they had pulled the keys out of the car and called police when it became apparent the driver was not going to wake up. The bystanders also told police they had noticed a pipe between the man's legs, according to the complaint.

As the officers opened the car door, the man, later identified as Timothy Edward Kriz, 28, of Iowa City was still passed out inside the vehicle with his daughter awake in the back seat, according to the complaint. As the officer opened the door, Kriz "slumped on the window and slowly opened his eyes."  Kriz allegedly had a dazed look of confusion on his face as he slowly awoke as officers opened the door.

Officers on the scene reported smelling the strong odor of marijuana smoke coming from Kriz's person. According to the complaint, Kriz had blood-shot watery eyes, had trouble standing, and had no recollection of where he was.

Kriz had a previous operating while intoxicated conviction on Aug. 14, 2012, for which his license had been revoked. He was charged with driving with a revoked license, a serious misdemeanor; child-endangerment with no injury, an aggravated misdemeanor; and second-offense operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Kriz was booked into the Johnson County Jail and released on Feb. 25, according to online jail records.