Mason City police say a string of crimes a week ago were all related and a suspect is now in custody. Thirty-two-year-old Allen Penhollow of Mason City is accused of phoning a bomb threat in to a local high school last Friday morning to coincide with his robbing a bank, in addition to stealing a pickup truck.
Police Captain Mike McKelvey says Penhollow has been picked up by the F.B.I. in Des Moines. “Mr. Penhollow was brought back to the Cerro Gordo County Jail,” Captain McKelvey says. “He’s currently there on the second-degree theft charge.
Additional charges for the bank robbery, terrorism, which is a Class D felony, and then also the bomb threat, will be filed as we speak.” The downtown First Citizens National Bank location was held up about 45 minutes after the bomb threat was called in to Newman Catholic High School.
The pickup truck, believed to be the getaway vehicle in the bank robbery, was stolen the previous day in Mason City. McKelvey says Penhollow didn’t act alone.
“Additional charges will be filed for Emily Elizabeth Francis, age 29, of Mason City,” he says. “Warrants will be applied for her for the bomb threat, bank robbery and terrorism as well.” McKelvey says there may be more arrests.
By Chris Berg, KCHA, Charles City