MASON CITY – A plea deal seems to be in the works for a man who entered the home of a Mason City woman he was accused of assaulting before fleeing to his parents’ house in Clear Lake.
Daniel Lee Franken, age 24, had been in jail for weeks ever since we was arrested for breaking into a Mason City woman’s home. On September 25 at 2:17 AM, a violation of a no-contact order between Franken and his alleged victim of domestic abuse was reported in the 500 block of 21st Street SE, where his victim lived. Police told NIT that Franken reportedly entered the residence of the protected party. Once inside, Franken allegedly assaulted the protected party and obstructed attempts to contact police. A family member chased Franken from the residence and he apparently left in a vehicle. Franken was located a short time later at his parents’ house in Clear Lake. Franken was charged with second degree burglary; violation of a no-contact order; obstruction of emergency communications; and 5th degree criminal mischief after police discovered that the victim’s vehicle had fresh damage apparently caused by Franken. He was released from jail on November 26 when he posted a $50,000 cash bond via a wire transfer, and has awaited trial ever since. The alleged female victim had been protected by a no-contact order ever since Franken was arrested on a felony domestic abuse assault charge that involved strangulation. He later entered a guilty plea to assault causing bodily injury in that case, and the protection order remained in-tact. He was accused four times of violating that no-contact order and still has court proceedings to resolve those matters.
Franken had his trial date pushed back to January in the felony burglary case, but records now show that Franken will be in court for a plea hearing on February 2, ahead his scheduled trial date of February 17.
