MASON CITY — A suspect was jailed after police responded to an alleged assault Tuesday night at a Mason City mental health transition facility.
According to Mason City police call-for-service and arrest information, officers were called at 9:15 PM on July 7, 2026, to 300 North Washington Avenue for an assault report. The address is home to the North Iowa Transition Center, a mental health transition facility located in the former Globe Gazette building.
Police arrested Cody Rae Payne, 52, and charged her with assault causing bodily injury or mental illness, no intent, and assault with intent to cause pain or injury.
Cerro Gordo County jail information shows Payne was booked into custody at 10:00 PM on July 7, 2026. Jail records listed a $1,000 cash or surety bond on the assault-with-intent charge. The assault-causing-bodily-injury-or-mental-illness charge was also listed in the jail intake information.
Court records show the case was filed as Cerro Gordo County case SRCR035068. A criminal complaint from the Mason City Police Department was filed July 7 and created in court records July 8. Payne made an initial appearance July 8, and court records state she was held for bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:15 PM on July 17, 2026. A public defender was appointed July 9.
The police and court information provided did not describe the alleged victim, the extent of any injuries, or what led to the confrontation.
Court records also show Payne (pictured at top) was previously convicted in a separate 2024 Mason City assault case. In Cerro Gordo County case SMSM043228, Payne pleaded guilty on November 8, 2024, to assault — insulting or offensive contact, a simple misdemeanor. She was sentenced to two days in jail in that case.
The latest case remains pending.
Payne is presumed innocent on the new charges unless and until proven guilty in court.