Youth leaves trail of tears as he rampages through Mason City

MASON CITY – A young man ruined the evening for a whole lot of people Tuesday night after he rampaged through town, stealing and carjacking vehicles on a several mile path before cops caught him walking along the side of the road.

Thanks to the assistance of several callers / victims and the diligence of Mason City police and other law enforcement, 17-year-old Michael Juwon Jacob Hughes was finally apprehended after 6:00 PM Wednesday, February 3, 2015 once his alleged crime spree was over.

The incident began at about 6:00 PM, when a hit and run incident was reported at 6th Street SW and Monroe Avenue. There were a number occupants in the offending vehicle, but a caller told police that people began to jump out of the car until only Hughes was left inside. What was described as at least two black males ran from the car and were near the Taco Bell restaurant, and at least one of them may have went inside, as Hughes continued to flee the area west on 6th SW. He drove to Highway 122 and began to blow through traffic lights at a high rate of speed. He rear-ended a stop vehicle at Highway 122 and Eisenhower Avenue, but the collision disabled his vehicle. Hughes then ran on foot to the Wal-Mart Super Center.

Hughes ran to a woman who police say was clearing snow from her vehicle and “viciously attacked” her and stole her car. He left the parking lot in that vehicle and drove east on Highway 122. Police were receiving multiple calls from witnesses and victims as this incident occurred. The injured woman went back inside the Wal-Mart store and her husband was called and eventually, an ambulance.

As he drove, the vehicle somehow became mechanically disabled. Hughes exited the vehicle and began walking along the shoulder of the road. Mason City police and Cerro Gordo deputies converged on the alleged assailant and took him into custody. The Iowa State Patrol was involved in the hunt for Hughes, and Clear Lake police had been warned that a problem could be coming their way.

Hughes is now in the Cerro Gordo County Jail, charged as an adult for his actions. He is charged with operating while intoxicated; robbery in the second degree; 2 counts of reckless driving; 2 counts of failure to maintain control; 2 counts of leaving the scene of an accident; 2 count of failure to obey a traffic control device; obstructed view; leaving an unattended vehicle on the highway; failure stop and failure to stop from a private drive before crossing a highway.

The incident is still under investigation.