Iowa City man dumped couch, Christmas tree in river, police say

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City man is accused of dumping trash - including a couch and a Christmas tree - into the Iowa River.

According to an Iowa City police criminal complaint, around 3 p.m. on Nov. 2, 26-year-old Travis P. Rider was observed backing his truck up to the Iowa River at Sturgis Ferry Park and dumping several items. A witness confronted Rider, but was ignored, police said.

Officers responded to the river after Rider had left and saw a couch, an artificial Christmas tree, a large plastic tub of Christmas items and two black bags of trash in the river.

Rider, who was identified by photos provided by the witness and his vehicle, faces one count of littering, a simple misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail.