MASON CITY – A Mason City man now faces a second robbery charge and is accused of tampering with a witness.
Zachary Michael Russell, age 28, was first arrested on the afternoon of December 1, 2017 on Mason City’s North End. At about 1:29 PM that day, police were called to investigate an armed robbery at 203 15th Street NE in Mason City. Mason City police and Cerro Gordo county deputies responded to the scene, where an investigation then took place. Allegedly, a male victim ran into the Family Dollar store on North Federal Avenue to use the phone. He claimed to have been robbed of his cell phone and some other things, while a knife was held to his neck, said a witness that was there at the time. Soon thereafter, Russell became a suspect and was located at 1605 N. Pennsylvania Avenue and questioned. Police were talking to witnesses and walking around the house to try and find what was stolen. Russell was soon arrested, handcuffed and taken to jail on a charge of felony first degree robbery. He has since pled not guilty.
Later, Mason City police brought charges of felony second-degree robbery and tampering with a witness against Russell. These alleged crimes took place on November 27. He has also entered not-guilty pleas to those charges.
Russel will face a jury trial on March 27.
Russell, Zachary Michael:
