MASON CITY – A Mason City man is guilty of his third drunk driving offense and is now behind bars.
A Mason City police officer stopped a vehicle at the 300 block of 1st Street NE for expired registration Saturday morning, January 23 at about 2:01 AM. After an investigation, the officer found that the driver, 36-year-old Michael Patrick Melhus, was driving with a suspended license and no registration. The officer further determined that Melhus was intoxicated.
Melhus was arrested and charged with second-offense operating while intoxicated and driving without a valid license and registration. Melhus and his public defender eventually entered a guilty plea to the drunk driving charge on April 28, after earlier pleading not guilty. As a result of the guilty plea, Melhus – who claims to be a pizza delivery man for Domino’s – was sentenced to jail for 7 days, his license was revoked (again), and he was ordered to pay $2,743.25 in fines and court fees.
The Iowa State Patrol arrested Melhus back in June of 2014 for drunk driving, and he later pled guilty to first offense operating while intoxicated. He was ordered to pay $2,233.24 in fines and court fees, but records show he’s paid just $100.00.
Melhus was also arrested back in 2001 in Story county for drunk driving. He pled guilty.
Live and learn? 3 times? Since you claim you’re going to pay off fines and make things right? How about reimbursing me the $500 deductible for damaging my vehicle while drunk?
Dam that article makes me look like a**hole! Not that I shouldn’t have made better choices in either case because I should have but I blew .09 coming back from Ames after having not been drinking for a few hours before heading back to Mason and then the 7 block 1 mile trip up Pennsylvania Ave back to my place with a stop sign every other block. I literally got arreseted parked in front of my place. Should have walked but it was cold and windy, needed to get out thought few blocks wouldn’t hurt. Did not turn out to be the case. Live and learn. I won’t be driving again until all my fines are paid and everything else is taken care of. An definetly not after doing any drinking of any kind. I was a driver for Domino’s as a 2nd job that promptly ended as it should have with my 2014 arrest. I don’t know why it show’s that with any connection to the Jan 23rd incident.
It’s like fishing -catch and release – Obummers solution to the ILLEAGAL poachers coming into America. TRUMP 2016
This guy hits my car while leaving a bar. Cameras show him walk out of tavern, get in his car and back up towards my vehicle. A witness, on camera, walks over to my vehicle and then runs inside to give his eyewitness account of an accident. Describing this guy and his vehicle. Because camera didn’t show him physically make contact, police do nothing. This piece of work actually calls me and says he doesnt “remember” hitting my car because he’d been drinking. Refused to man up and pay damages. Only a matter of time before he kills someone. By the way, that would have been another OWI and leaving scene of accident.
Hey scumbag!No Value of human life had $ for getting drunk but no $for fines =big loser.Also I would hope he wasn’t delivering pizza for Dominos without a lisc.Because he couldn’t of had one if fines aren’t paid you would think.If he was still let to deliver pizza at Dominos with no lisc. shame on Dominos.Hopefully he just said to work there at one time and not currently delivering pizza, if so it should be his last night.
Dirt Bag Drunk Driver! Please get help and stop driving drunk! Please!
Dammit, Melhus. 🙁