Creston Police: Drunk woman drives from Sioux City with three kids in car

Lela A. Churchwell, 46, of Creston, was taken into custody 3:56 p.m. May 23, in the 200 block of North Division Street on the charges of OWI, first offense and interference with official acts.

According to a Creston Police report, a 2002 Saturn SL1 Churchwell was observed to be driving was stopped because Churchwell does not have a valid driver’s license.

After being stopped, Churchwell exited the car and attempted to go into her residence. Officers stopped her at which time she attempted to push past them before she was eventually escorted to the ground and placed in handcuffs.

Churchwell was observed to have bloodshot, watery eyes, impaired balance and the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath. She also made statements about consuming alcohol earlier in the day.

Churchwell was transported the Union County Law Enforcement Center where she consented to field sobriety testing and showed validated clues of impairment. She refused a PBT and to provide a breath specimen for chemical testing.

Churchwell was transported to the Union County Jail where she was released from after posting $1,300 cash or surety bond.

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Rikki L. Klos, 36, of Afton, was taken into custody 5:48 p.m. May 24, at Elm and Mills streets on the charges of possession of a controlled substance - marijuana, first offense and two counts of possession of a controlled substance, first offense.

According to a Creston Police report, at approximately 5:31 p.m. a 2000 Dodge Ram was stopped for not having a front license plate.

Klos, an occupant of the truck, admitted to having marijuana in her purse. Officers searched her purse and located a grinder containing marijuana, one alprazolam pill and one diazepam pill. Both pills are Schedule 4 controlled substances. Klos admitted to not having a prescription for either medication.

Klos was transported to the Union County Jail where she was released from after posting $3,000 cash or surety bond.

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Samantha J. Little, 30, of Moville, was taken into custody 11:31 p.m. May 24, in the 800 block of Laurel Street on the charges of public intoxication, OWI, second offense and three counts of child endangerment - substantial risk.

According to a Creston Police report, at approximately 11:13 p.m. a Walmart employee reported a female operating a 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, who appeared intoxicated and had three children with her in the parking lot. The employee stated they witnessed a bottle of alcohol fall out of the female’s pocket and smelled a strong odor of alcohol coming from her person.

Officers made contact with the female, identified as Little, and immediately detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her person. Little consented to a PBT which indicated her BrAC to be above .08%. Three children, two of which were Little’s and one of which was a friend’s child, were in the backseat of the Traverse.

Little admitted to driving intoxicated from Sioux City. Open Fireball shooters were found in the driver’s door of the Traverse.

Little was transported to the Union County Law Enforcement Center where she consented to field sobriety testing. During the tests, Little showed validated clues of impairment. Little consented to provide a breath specimen for chemical testing, the result of which showed her BAC to be .181%.

Little has a prior OWI conviction in October of 2020 from Plymouth County.

Little was transported to the Union County Jail where she was released from after posting $8,300 cash or surety bond.

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Howard J. Davis IV, 33, of Creston, was taken into custody 4:34 p.m. May 26, at his residence on a Union County warrant for the charge of violation of parole.

According to an Iowa Department of Correctional Services report, during a May 19 parole appointment, a parole agent reviewed Davis’ phone. After the phone was reviewed, Davis admitted to multiple violations of his parole terms.

Violations included an unreported relationship with a sex offender parolee, who he allowed to spend the night at his residence without permission and who was not registered as a visitor with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry. Davis had unapproved and unregistered social media accounts.

He admitted to having unapproved contact with several minors and to spending the night at an unregistered address where minors were present without permission. Davis admitted to using marijuana multiple times each month. He also admitted to sending and receiving inappropriate sexual photos and videos and to viewing pornography on his phone which he deleted after viewing.

Davis was transported to the Union County Jail and held without bond.

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Nathan L. Novotny, 20, of Creston, was taken into custody 8:03 p.m. May 26, in the 900 block of North Sumner Avenue on the charges of interference with official acts and driving while suspended.

According to a Creston Police report, at approximately 8:58 p.m. Novotny was observed driving a Dodge Charger at Prairie Street and Highway 25. Novotny has a suspended license.

While at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, Novotny made comments about fleeing and did not sit down after being told to. He actively resisted officers and had to be assisted into handcuffs and then resisted while being escorted to the jail.

Novotny was transported to the Union County Jail where he was released from after posting $1,300 cash or surety bond.