Mason City woman arrested after allegedly fleeing with friend’s car, stealing her money

CLEAR LAKE – At 45 minutes after midnight early Sunday morning Clear Lake Officers were flagged down in front of the VFW by 30 year old Jennifer Stout of Mason City. Jennifer told officers that she had given the keys to her black Dodge Durango to a friend so she could retrieve something out of the vehicle. When her friend, 28 year old Kimberly Reuter of Mason City did not return, Jennifer became concerned and went to check on her vehicle. She found that the vehicle was missing from where she had parked it.

Clear Lake Police Officers located the vehicle and stopped it in the McDonald’s parking lot on N 24th Street. Deputies from the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office assisted. The female driver identified herself as Michelle Paulsen and 23 year old Jordan Holmes of Mason City was a passenger in the vehicle. As officers spoke with Ms. Paulsen it became apparent to them that she was intoxicated. She was arrested for OWI. After being arrested and placed in a patrol car, Ms. Paulsen admitted that she was actually Kim Reuter. Kim was charged with OWI, interference with official acts, and driving while barred. She was taken to the Cerro Gordo County Jail. Deputies arrested Holmes for possession of drug paraphernalia and open container. He was also transported to the Cerro Gordo County Jail.

Initially Jennifer Stout did not want to press charges on Kim Reuter for taking her vehicle without permission; however when she recovered her vehicle she discovered that her purse had been rifled through and she was missing $130 in cash and a debit card she changed her mind. 26 year old Miranda Taylor from Mason City who had been out with the group found that her purse had also been gone through and she was missing a debit card and her cell phone.

A Clear Lake Officer went to the jail to speak with Reuter and Holmes. While he was there he checked the inventory of personal property taken from them. Miranda Taylor’s missing debit card was located in Reuter’s property and her cell phone was found in Holmes property. Additional charges of ‘operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent’ and 5th degree theft were added to Reuter’s charges and Holmes received an additional charge of 4th degree theft.