A Mason City man charged with breaking into a local synagogue and stealing sound equipment earlier this year is under arrest again, this time after a standoff on Thursday night. Thirty-nine-year-old William O’Dell has been arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a felon and domestic assault.
Mason City police say in a news release that they received a report of a domestic situation at a house on the city’s north side at about 4:00 P.M. After further investigation, it was discovered that O’Dell, who is a convicted felon, was in possession of a firearm, which is illegal.
Officers attempted to serve criminal citations but didn’t receive any response, with officers later determining that he had barricaded himself inside the house. At around 8:30 P.M., members of the North Central Iowa Narcotics Drug Task Force Special Operations Group and Iowa State Patrol negotiators made contact with O’Dell.
He then surrendered without incident and was taken to the Cerro Gordo County Jail where he remains on $5-thousand bond.
By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City