Iowa Wrestler Ethan Owens Charged With Operating a Vehicle Without Consent

A few days after Peter Jok's OWI infraction, another Iowa athlete finds himself in trouble with the law: junior wrestler Ethan Owens. Owens was charged with operating a vehicle without consent.

When the party concluded at about 4 a.m., Owens allegedly took the keys to a Ford Explorer parked in the driveway and drove away in the vehicle, according to police. The vehicle's owner, who was sleeping when Owens took the SUV, told police he had never met Owens, police say.

Police say Owens was contacted later that day by phone and hinted to the vehicle's whereabouts but denied taking the SUV. The vehicle was found soon after parked at 29 W. Burlington St., unlocked with the keys in it, according to police.

Owens' charge is an aggravated misdemeanor under Iowa law.

Owens went 19-5 at 141 lbs. last season, with all but one of those appearances coming at open tournaments.  The lone exception -- and his only appearance in the varsity lineup -- came as a fill-in for Josh Dziewa against Jesse Thielke at 141 lbs. in the Iowa-Wisconsin dual meet.  Thielke won via a 12-1 major decision.  The high point of Owens' season was a pair of first-place finishes at the William Penn Open, both secured via narrow decision wins (4-2 and 2-0) over fellow Iowa wrestler Topher Carton.  Owens was not expected to challenge for a starting job in 2014-15.

Neither Iowa wrestling head coach Tom Brands nor the Iowa athletic department has offered a comment about Owens' infraction at this time.