Iowa City mother pleads not guilty in child endangerment case

An Iowa City mother charged with child endangerment after authorities discovered her 23-month-old son had a blood-alcohol content level of .097 has pleaded not guilty.

Natasha Kriener's case is scheduled for a jury trial in a Johnson County courtroom on June 12, according to court records.

Kriener, 26, was arrested Feb. 17 after police said her son's father took the child to the emergency room on Feb. 15 because the toddler was crying and had poor balance, according to a criminal complaint. The child, who had been picked up by his father that evening for a weekly visitation, was admitted overnight for observation.

The 45-pound child's blood-alcohol level was over the .08 level for an adult to be found guilty of drunken driving, according to Iowa City police. He was showing signs of intoxication including poor balance, discomfort, and he was crying, the complaint states.

When officers spoke with Kriener on the day her son was hospitalized, her blood-alcohol content level was .251, according to the complaint. The toddler's older sibling said his brother “drank pop and got sick,” police reported.

Kriener, who is the primary caregiver for the child, was charged with child endangerment resulting in bodily injury and neglect of a dependant person. According to the charging document, Kriener is accused of leaving alcoholic beverages within the reach of her 23-month-old child.

Kriener was being held at the Johnson County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 cash-only bond, but a judge on Friday allowed her to be released from custody while remaining under the supervision of the Sixth Judicial District. A condition of her release requires Kriener to follow recommendations of a substance abuse evaluation and complete any treatment program that has been recommended, including intensive outpatient treatment.

She also is prohibited from contacting both of her children.

Kriener's pre-trial conference is scheduled for June 1.