North Liberty man serving 100 years faces another 60 for Iowa City sexual assault

IOWA CITY — A North Liberty man already serving 100 years in prison for two sexual assaults in Black Hawk County pleaded this week to another one in Iowa City, along with burglary and robbery charges.

Asante Walker-Garcia Adams, 27, pleaded Monday to second-degree sexual abuse, first-degree burglary and second-degree robbery. A second charge of second-degree sexual abuse will be dismissed at sentencing as part of the plea agreement, court documents show.

Walker-Garcia Adams faces up to 60 years in prison for breaking into a woman’s house in Iowa City on Sept. 6, 2022, punching her, threatening to kill her with a knife and sexually assaulting her, according to court documents.

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The woman described the suspect as having something on top of his head and wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a mask, bigger than a surgical mask, and sneakers, according to court documents.

A forensic analysis showed phone activity consistent with the woman’s account and results from a sexual assault exam provided a partial DNA profile of a suspect — but not enough to identify a suspect in CODIS, the national DNA database, a warrant affidavit stated.

When the woman was interviewed a second time, she identified the suspect from a Ring doorbell camera in the area, which police circulated to request help from the public. But Iowa City investigators couldn’t identify a suspect until the Black Hawk County incidents happened in 2023.

He will be sentenced in Johnson County District Court on April 21.

Walker-Garcia Adams still faces another trial in Linn County for a sexual assault in Center Point. He was arrested on a warrant a day after he was sentenced in the Black Hawk County crimes.

He is charged in Linn County with second-degree robbery, third-degree kidnapping, assault with intent to commit sex abuse, first-degree harassment and false imprisonment.

According to a criminal complaint, the May 3, 2023, sexual assault happened outside an apartment building in Center Point. A woman reported she was leaning into her car from the passenger side to put something in the center console when a man approached her from behind.

He put his hands around her neck and forced her face into the car’s seat, and told her if she resisted him he would kill her, the complaint stated.

The man then pulled the woman’s shirt over her head and eyes, and moved her behind the apartment building. He told her to take him into her apartment so he could rob her, according to the complaint. He then moved her back to her car and attempted to remove her pants.

The man then attempted to start her vehicle but she was able to escape to a neighbor’s apartment.

Police later identified her attacker as Walker from fingerprints left on the window of the car. He also matched a description provided by the woman.

The warrant was issued for his arrest in 2023 but he couldn’t come into Linn County’s custody until the Black Hawk case was resolved.

His trial is set for June 3 in Linn County District Court.

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