Iowa City woman accused of threatening bus driver, breaking bus door

Rin Swann, News Reporter


An Iowa City woman has been accused of attempting to stab a bus driver with an icepick/brush and attempting to attack a police officer. 

Diana Rivera, 26, was charged March 28 with assault on peace officers and others, assault use/display of a weapon, second-degree criminal mischief and assault causing bodily injury. 

According to the arrest affidavit, the city bus was stopped for an out-of-control person. A bus window was broken out of the passenger’s side of the bus. The window was on the highway, along with a metal ice scraper on a four-foot handle. 

When the officer approached the bus, the affidavit said, he saw Rivera throw a backpack at another woman and swung a ice scraper/brush at the officer. She was ordered to the ground with a taser pointed at her by the officer.

Further investigation showed that Rivera had threatened the bus driver with the ice scraper and tried to stab the driver with the metal scraper end, the affidavit said. She also assaulted the other woman by kicking her in the chest and throwing items at her in addition to breaking the back automatic door. 

The estimated damage to the bus was $2,800. 

Second-degree criminal mischief is a Class-D felony.