Iowa City man accused in downtown stabbing

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City man is accused of stabbing another man earlier this year.

According to Iowa City police, around 12:56 a.m. May 7, the victim and his wife were walking in the 100 block of East College Street in the Pedestrian Mall. Police said the couple walked past 66-year-old Ronal A. Rarey who then insulted the victim's wife.

Police said when the victim approached Rarey about his insult, Rarey pulled a knife and stabbed the man twice in the abdomen. The man was hospitalized for several days due to his injuries, police said. Rarey admitted to the stabbing.

Rarey, a transient with a lengthy criminal record, was arrested and faces one count of willful injury causing serious injury, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

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