Iowa City woman back in jail after parole violation

IOWA CITY - An Iowa City woman who accidentally killed her friend during a drunken incident four years ago and was released from prison on parole earlier this year is behind bars again.

Miranda Lalla, 54, was ordered Monday morning to be held on a $25,000 cash-only bond for a violation related to her parole for vehicular homicide while intoxicated. Court documents allege Lalla has been drinking and living with a felon.

In October 2013, Lalla admitted to her guilt in an incident that occurred in Iowa City on June 17, 2012. On that date, Lalla and her friend, 44-year-old Pamela Gross, were at the Jobsite bar and Lalla drove them home. Police said Lalla and Gross got into a fight in the parking lot at Lalla's home.

After the fight ended, Lalla got into her Dodge Ram pickup truck and attempted to leave. Police said Gross was hit by the open driver's side door when Lalla reversed the truck. Gross was knocked to the ground and run over, causing her fatal injuries, police said.

Police said Lalla showed impairment when performing field sobriety tests and a breath test showed her blood alcohol content to be .093 percent, above the legal limit of .08 percent.

Lalla was ultimately sentenced to spend up to 25 years in prison for the offense. Because there was no proof Lalla tried to leave the scene of the crime, she was not subjected to a 70 percent mandatory minimum on her sentence.

The Iowa Parole Board reviewed Lalla's case in November 2015 and she was released on parole on Jan. 18, 2016.

According to an Iowa Department of Corrections report, a probation/parole officer with the Sixth Judicial District was informed of Lalla's parole violations by an Iowa City police officer on Oct. 25. The officer said Iowa City police responded to an incident at Lalla's residence on Oct. 12. Police said Lalla had been drinking and living with a felon for several months without permission. Both acts are violations of her parole and Lalla failed to report them to her parole officer.

According to court records, Lalla's case has been transferred to the Iowa Parole Board.