MASON CITY – A Mason City woman arrested for the third time for drunk driving was able to make a deal and avoid a felony conviction, but is already facing new charges after ducking cops for days.
Italy Shante Denwiddie (pictured at top), age 38 of Mason City, is no stranger to drunk driving. Denwiddie was guilty of first offense operating while intoxicated and a swath of other crimes after an arrest by the Iowa State Patrol in Cerro Gordo county back in July of 2016. Then, Denwiddie was arrested by Clear Lake police back on August 14, 2022, for drunk driving. She later pled guilty to first-offense operating while intoxicated. Both case brought heavy financial and other consequences.
Denwiddie was back to her drunk driving habit when she was arrested on July 9, 2023, by the Iowa State Patrol in Cerro Gordo county. She faced a charge of felony third-offense operating while intoxicated, as well as marijuana possession and driving without a license. After a plea deal on January 30, 2024, she was guilty of reduced charge of second-offense operating while intoxicated. However, judge Adam Sauer suspended 344 days of jail time, gave a year of probation and $4365.25 in fines and court fees. She was also guilty of the marijuana possession charge, while the license charge was dismissed.
However, by February 22, Denwiddie was facing a revocation of her probation and a warrant for her arrest was issued. It took cops a week to track her down to an apartment on South Taft Avenue in Mason City. She was arrested by Mason City police on the morning of February 29 and taken to the Cerro Gordo county jail, where she remains held. She awaits a hearing on March 26.