(Sheldon Police cruiser - KIWA Staff Photo)Sheldon, Iowa — A Council Bluffs man has been arrested on OWI and felony neglect charges after a traffic stop in Sheldon.
A criminal complaint filed by the Sheldon Police Department in district court accuses 37-year-old Lucas Gilpin of Council Bluffs of driving drunk with children in the vehicle. He was arrested on Friday.
In his statement, the officer says he originally pulled the car over on an equipment violation. He says Gilpin had bloodshot, watery eyes and dilated pupils and smelled of alcohol. He allegedly failed field sobriety tests, but refused breath tests. The officer also notes that there were two children, ages 8 and 10, in the back seat, which was wet, and neither child appeared to be wearing a seat belt. He says one of the children has nonverbal autism.
Gilpin was charged with two counts of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, a class C felony. If convicted on both counts, he could face up to 20 years in prison. He also faces a misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated.
A preliminary hearing has been set for November 30th.
Gilpin was booked into the O’Brien County Jail in Primghar and was released after posting a $10,000 cash or surety bond through a bondsman.
