A Rock Valley man faces a Class D felony after police allege his breath-alcohol concentration measured .208 during an early-morning traffic stop.
According to criminal complaints filed Sunday in Sioux County District Court, 25-year-old Julman Adalberto Rayo-Ruiz is charged with third-offense operating while intoxicated, driving while barred and operating a vehicle without a required ignition interlock device.
Officer Alleges Erratic Driving
A Rock Valley Police officer says he observed Rayo-Ruiz driving out of the Peoples Bank parking lot at approximately 2:49 Sunday morning.
According to the complaints, Rayo-Ruiz allegedly entered a turning lane instead of the proper lane while beginning to travel east on Highway 18. The officer says Rayo-Ruiz then erratically moved back into the correct lane.
The officer also noticed a nonworking brake light and conducted a traffic stop in the Pump N Pak parking lot at 1004 Main Street.
The complaints allege Rayo-Ruiz had bloodshot, watery eyes and a strong odor of alcohol. Police say he initially admitted to drinking two or three beers before later telling officers at the police department that he had consumed six beers.
The officer says Rayo-Ruiz failed field sobriety testing and was arrested. A DataMaster breath test reportedly measured his alcohol concentration at .208, which is two-and-a-half times Iowa’s .08 threshold.
Complaint Lists Two Prior OWI Convictions
The OWI complaint lists two previous Sioux County OWI convictions, one from July 2023 and another from February 2024. Under Iowa law, a third-offense OWI is a Class D felony.
Driving while barred is an aggravated misdemeanor, while operating without a required ignition interlock device is listed as a simple misdemeanor.
The arrest record also lists charges for having no valid driver’s license and failing to provide proof of financial liability. Rayo-Ruiz’s bond was set at $7,000 cash or surety.
