Storm Lake chase ends in OWI arrest, child endangerment charges

A Storm Lake pursuit that ended in the 400 block of East 13th Street has left a Sioux City woman facing operating while intoxicated and child endangerment charges after police said three children under age 6 were riding unrestrained in the vehicle.

Roda Girah, 23, was arrested March 28 after officers said they spotted a reckless driver entering the city and watched the vehicle weave, speed and ignore traffic signals before it failed to yield to emergency lights and sirens. The chase moved through several Storm Lake streets before it stopped abruptly, and the impact was hard enough that a patrol vehicle made contact with the rear of the suspect vehicle, according to the affidavit.

Police later reported signs of impairment, including the odor of alcohol, slurred speech and unsteadiness. Officers also said they found open containers and a THC vaping device inside the vehicle. Girah refused field sobriety testing and a breath test, according to the report.

She now faces charges of operating while intoxicated, first offense, eluding at a speed more than 25 mph over the limit, hemp inhalation and several counts of child endangerment. The case has already moved through an early stage of the court process. Girah posted a $5,000 bond on April 8, waived preliminary hearing and is represented by attorney Steve Goodlow. The report also said she was transported to the Buena Vista County Jail and placed in a padded cell after allegedly becoming combative with staff.

A separate case from Storm Lake shows another, very different kind of danger now headed into court. Gerson Jonathan Melgar Gutierrez, 28, of Storm Lake, was arrested after a March 30 incident in the 100 block of East Railroad Street. Police allege he broke a locked door to enter an apartment, forced his way into a bathroom where the victim was located and physically assaulted her.

Authorities said the victim suffered bruising and swelling to her wrists, arms and fingers. They also allege Gutierrez took her phone so she could not call for help and continued the assault inside the residence, causing further damage. He is charged with first-degree burglary, willful injury causing bodily injury and domestic abuse assault, first offense. A no-contact order was issued, bond was set at $25,000 and an arraignment was scheduled for April 20 at the Buena Vista County Courthouse.

Both cases will move through Buena Vista County District Court in Iowa Judicial District 3, where criminal charges begin the formal process that can lead to plea negotiations, hearings or trial. For Storm Lake, the two arrests underscore how quickly a traffic chase or a domestic dispute can turn into a courtroom case with immediate consequences for families and public safety.