MASON CITY — A convicted lottery-ticket thief was nabbed pedaling through a closed Mason City park in the middle of the night, and police say he didn’t go quietly.
Mason City police encountered 45-year-old Jeffery Allen Dahle Jr. during a bicycle stop at 3:14 a.m. on August 23, 2026, near 802 3rd Street NE, an address located inside East Park.
The park was closed at the time, but allegedly that did not stop Dahle from riding through it. Police also accused him of operating the bicycle without the required lamps and reflectors.
During the encounter, Dahle allegedly interfered with officers as they discovered he was wanted on a probation-violation warrant. He was arrested on charges of interference with official acts, being in a park after hours, violating Mason City’s bicycle lamp and reflector ordinance, and violating probation.
Dahle (pictured at top) was booked into the Cerro Gordo County Jail at 4:03 a.m. and held on a $5,000 cash-only bond in his name. Court records say the statewide warrant was issued August 20 after a probation-violation report was filed.
This is not the first time Mason City police have encountered people inside East Park after closing. NIT previously reported that four people were arrested after officers responded to an after-hours complaint in the park.
Dahle’s probation stems from a felony lottery-ticket theft case filed by Mason City police in 2024. He pleaded guilty to lottery forgery or theft of a ticket, a Class D felony, on October 18, 2024.
A judge imposed a five-year prison sentence but suspended the term, along with a $1,025 fine. Dahle was instead placed on probation for three years and ordered into a residential correctional facility for up to 180 days.
Dahle was accused of violating his probation in June 2025. He later pleaded guilty to contempt of court, served 52 days in jail and was ordered to remain on probation. He was also again ordered into a residential facility for up to 180 days.
The latest probation-revocation proceeding was launched after another violation report was filed August 17, 2026. Dahle is scheduled to face a revocation hearing on September 15, when the court could determine whether to continue his probation, impose additional sanctions or activate some or all of his suspended five-year prison sentence.
The new allegations remain unresolved, and Dahle is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.