Iowa City police arrested two local men after they allegedly stole a taxi cab.

Philip Bowen, 20, address unknown, was charged Tuesday with operating a vehicle without consent and Mikkel Shelton-Tipton, 19, address unknown, was charged Tuesday with third-degree burglary of a unoccupied vehicle and OWI.

Complaints said officers were dispatched to the intersection of Gilbert and Burlington Streets after a report of a taxi taken without the owner’s permission. GPS on the car located the vehicle at the above location, where police reportedly found Bowen and Shelton-Tipton had parked the car in the Chauncey parking ramp after allegedly driving it a couple of blocks.

Officers reported signs of intoxication on Shelton-Tipton after which he allegedly told police he was intoxicated. Shelton-Tipton had a preliminary breath test of .167.

Both defendants allegedly stole money from the center console of the cab. The report said officers found $498 in Bowen’s pocket and an envelope containing $261.55 along with the keys to the taxi in Shelton-Tipton’s pocket.

Complaints said Bowen admitted post-Miranda that he had suggested to Shelton-Tipton to steal the vehicle and drive because he was not comfortable driving. Bowen allegedly repeatedly said, “I did it” and “I’m guilty.”

— by Brittany Till