WATERLOO, Iowa (KCRG) – A man armed with a handgun was arrested after an hours-long standoff that started late Tuesday night at a Waterloo apartment complex. Waterloo police said they were called about a man acting erratic and banging on neighbors’ doors while armed with a firearm at the apartment complex in the 3600 block of Ravenwood Circle at around 10 p.m. Police said they saw the suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Jacob Van Riper, with a handgun in the hallway of the apartment complex. Officers said when they ordered Van Riper to drop the gun, he retreated into an apartment unit. A police tactical team and negotiator were called in to assist with the situation. The man exited the apartment and was taken into custody several hours later. Van Riper was charged with interference with a Firearm, Public Into, Carrying Weapon while Intoxicated, Disorderly Conduct, Possession of Marijuana W/Intent, Drug Tax Stamp Violation, and Ineligible Person Carrying a Firearm. The incident remains under investigation.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Harding Middle School in Cedar Rapids will be moving students back into the dome spaces on Friday after the domes closed in late October for construction. The domes at both Harding and Taft Middle Schools were closed after a routine inspection of the structures revealed deterioration in the wooden support beams. Both schools were built in 1965. Over the last few months, engineers have been replacing the old wood used to support the dome structures. To keep the domes up, they’ve had to work on one pillar at a time. During the dome closures, the school has been hosting sports and arts events in other buildings. After months of work, the last of the domes is expected to be repaired by the end of this week. The dome at Harding which holds the cafeteria reopened in January, but the second dome, which houses the gym, is expected to reopen later this week. One of the domes at Taft Middle School reopened in January, and the second dome reopened last week.
DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) — A bill that would ban automated traffic cameras, like the ones along Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids, and ban cell phone usage outside of hands-free and voice-activated modes moved forward Wednesday. A House subcommittee passed House Study Bill 707 Wednesday by a 2-1 vote. Under the bill, drivers would still be able to hold phones close to their ear and speak. Law enforcement in attendance pushed back on this and said this would be difficult to enforce. Law enforcement also pushed back on banning automated traffic enforcement, or traffic cameras, saying they saved lives and reduced crashes. Democrats say they plan to add an amendment to remove the language banning traffic cameras. Republicans there said the bill could use work but moved it forward to clear funnel week this week, to make sure the bill stays alive for this session. A similar hands-free bill and traffic camera ban failed to pass the legislature last year.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Iowa’s News Now) – A Cedar Rapids man was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Tuesday for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in 2020. Bryan Ruiz, 28, took an Alford plea in the case last October, meaning he won’t admit wrongdoing but admits there’s enough evidence to prove him guilty. Criminal complaints say Ruiz sexually abused the child, showed her pornography, and tried to get her to help him start a relationship with her younger sister. According to The Gazette, Linn County prosecutors told the judge Tuesday that Ruiz sent more than 800 pages of emails to the girl’s school account, including nude pictures and videos of himself, and told her to delete them so he wouldn’t get arrested. Bryan’s brother, Markus Ruiz, was sentenced to ten years behind bars back in August after he was convicted of sexually abusing the same victim and a 13-year-old.
