MASON CITY – Police in Mason City are hunting a burglar after a neighborhood crime, but many residents may have received a text message warning them to not leave their homes until further notice.
Mason City Chief of Police Jeff Brinkley said this morning that police officers are on the scene of an active burglary investigation on 4th Street SE between Virginia Avenue and Vermont Avenue. He advised residents to “please avoid this area during this time.”
He also clarified a widely-sent text message that may have sewn confusion.
“In an effort to notify the neighborhood around this incident, an Alter Iowa Notification was sent out by dispatch,” Chief Brinkley explained. “A system error sent this message to all phones in Mason City that are registered with Alert Iowa. The only impacted area is the neighborhood around 4th Street SE between Virginia and Vermont.
“We apologize for the concern, inconvenience, and disruption caused by the error.”
There was no immediate word on the status of the burglary crime investigation that set off the incident.