SAC CITY, IOWA – This Northern Iowa inmate housed in an out-of-date jail facility for allegedly vandalizing school property attacked jailers and deputies during a desperate escape attempt through a tiny cell opening.
The Sac County Sheriff’s Office reports that on the afternoon of June 4, 2025, a Sac County jailer and two deputy sheriffs were assaulted while preventing an escape from the Sac County Jail. 36-year-old Artis Karazins of Lake View, Iowa, was in the center holding cell. He was in jail for allegedly damaging an area little league field, a football field and neighboring backyards. Around 3:00 PM that day, jail staff opened the food pass-through door (14″ x 8″ – standard practice at the jail) to hand Karazins some paperwork. Karazins is seen on a jail cell video grabbing the arm of the jail staff member and pulling her into the cell door, then released her arm. The staff member received bruising on her forearm.
Later that evening, while serving meals, the same jailer is seen on video peeking through the cell window to see where Karazins is located in the cell. The video shows him lying on his bunk, and he is now naked. As the jailer opens the pass-through to hand in the food tray, Karazins runs from his bunk and is able to get his head and a shoulder through the pass-through. The jailer calls for help. Karazins crawled out of the pass-through before law enforcement, who were in the building at the time, could get to this cell unit. Karazins is seen chasing the jailer down the steps to the exit to the booking area, where two deputy sheriffs were opening the door. Karazins then charged the deputies as the jailer raced past them, and a physical altercation takes place. The deputies subdued Karazins and put him in handcuffs. Additional law enforcement was dispatched, as well as Sac County EMS. Karazins was transported to Loring Hospital for an evaluation. Karazins was transported to the Woodbury County Jail the following morning.
Karazins (pictured at top) had been in the Sac County Jail since May 31, 2025, after being arrested by Lake View Police for two counts of criminal mischief 2nd degree and leaving the scene of an accident. Records show both counts of criminal mischief were dropped. He pleaded guilty to serious misdemeanor escape from custody and was given time served and a fine.
The Sac county sheriff pleaded with voters to approve funding for a jail facility, but they voted the project down in the November election.