A northwest Iowa couple found guilty of helping their son flee the country rather than stand trial for attempted murder have been paroled after serving a fraction of their prison sentences.
Two years ago, then 19-year-old Ali Younes was accused of tackling a woman on the University of Iowa campus, choking her until she passed out and stealing her $20,000 earrings. Younes, who pleaded not guilty, was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and stay at his family’s home until his trial, but court records show he cut off the monitor and flew to Jordan.
Investigators say Lima and Alfred Younes drove from their home in Sutherland, got cash after selling a vehicle in Omaha and rented a van to take their son to Chicago, where he flew to Jordan with his grandmother. Last August a jury found Lima Younes guilty of aiding her son’s escape and her husband pleaded guilty a month later.
Lima Younes was paroled after serving over seven months of her five year prison sentence. Alfred Younes, also sentenced to five years, was released from prison after serving over five months.
(By Scott Van Aarsten, KIWA, Sheldon)