MASON CITY – A man who was caught last October after he burned up a pickup truck as police searched for him in a manhunt has been sent to prison for decades after guilty pleas this week in court.
Michael Dean Wilson, age 25, accepted a plea deal that send him to jail for up to 5 decades unless he is paroled earlier. He entered guilty pleas to arson, criminal mischief, third degree burglary and possession of methamphetamine.
Wilson was implicated in the burglary of the Lakeside Pit Stop on August 15, 2014, when an ATM machine was sawed into and taken from the establishment, along with all the cash inside. Also, a reportedly stolen “dirt bike” motorcycle was later found on Wilson’s property, along with stolen tools.
Police said Wilson was out of prison on parole when he committed these crimes, along with an alleged burglary of Rumorz Bar last summer. He was finally caught in October after he led Clear Lake police and deputies on a dangerous chase which ended when he set his pickup truck on fire in south east Clear Lake and fled on foot, only to be caught hours later by Clear Lake police.
INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY
