Johns accused of violating protective order from jail

IOWA CITY - It took Kenneth Johns a day before he violated the protective order barring him from contacting his estranged wife.

According to a Coralville Police Department criminal complaint, around 1 p.m. March 11, Johns, 48, of Coralville, placed a call from the Johnson County Jail to his wife. Police said when the woman learned who was calling, she rejected the call. Jail phone records showed that Johns tried to call the woman three different times over the course of 30 minutes.

Johns appeared in court on a charges of domestic abuse while displaying a weapon, assault causing bodily injury and parole violation on March 10. During his initial appearance, Johns was ordered to not have contact with the victims in both assault cases. He asked during the hearing if his wife could drop the no-contact order.

'Regardless of what she says about the complaint and how you feel about the complaint, I'm the person filing the no-contact order,” Judge Deb Minot said during the hearing. 'It's not a question of whether this person wants to have contact with you or not, I'm ordering you not to have contact.”

Coralville police said during an incident back in January, he pointed a gun at his wife's head and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about his 'illicit activities.” A warrant for his arrest was issued in February, but Johns evaded police until March 8, the day after he triggered an AMBER ALERT when he allegedly abducted his stepdaughter from a residence in Solon.

Police said Johns took the girl early on March 7 and an AMBER ALERT was issued that afternoon. Authorities eventually learned he had fled to Davenport, where he was arrested on March 8 after a two and a half-hour standoff with police there. Police said a third party dropped his stepdaughter off in Cedar County early Sunday morning. Authorities have said she was unharmed and has been placed with the Department of Human Services.

Johns has not yet been charged in connection with the alleged abduction. He has been ordered to remain in custody without bail on the parole violation charge. He has been charged with violation of a protective order for his phone calls last week. The simple misdemeanor is punishable by up to 30 days in jail.