MASON CITY — A suspected late-night cemetery prowler was allegedly tipsy, behind the wheel and unwilling to cooperate when a Mason City police officer encountered him among the graves at 1:30 a.m.
The eerie September 14, 2026, encounter ended with 44-year-old Steven Clifford Mitchell collared on six charges and his 2015 GMC Yukon hauled away.
Mason City Police Chief Mike McKelvey said an officer on patrol spotted Mitchell standing beside the Yukon inside Elmwood Cemetery. The SUV’s headlights were on, piercing the darkness despite the cemetery having been closed to the public for hours.
Under Mason City ordinance, Elmwood Cemetery is closed between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The officer entered the cemetery to investigate what the man and vehicle were doing there at such an unusual hour. Police said Mitchell climbed into the Yukon and began driving, prompting the officer to stop him.
The strange graveyard encounter soon took another turn.
While the officer investigated Mitchell’s sobriety, Mitchell allegedly refused to follow instructions. At one point, he began walking away from the traffic stop through the cemetery, according to police.
His attempted stroll into the darkness did not get him far.
The officer nabbed Mitchell and took him into custody. He was hauled to the Cerro Gordo County Jail, while police impounded the Yukon.
Mitchell (pictured at top) was booked on the following charges:
- Operating while intoxicated, first offense
- Interference with official acts
- Driving while license denied, suspended, canceled or revoked
- Violation of Mason City’s protection of cemeteries ordinance
- Failure to provide proof of financial liability
- Falsifying a driver’s license, identification card or related form
Cerro Gordo County Jail records listed several separate cash-only and cash-or-surety bond amounts following Mitchell’s arrest.
Court records show Mitchell appeared before a judge on September 14 and was initially held for bond. A cash bond was posted September 15, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for September 24.
The alleged after-hours cemetery caper is not Mitchell’s first scrape with the law.
Iowa court records show Mitchell pleaded guilty in Worth County in 2022 to third-degree burglary, a Class D felony. He was also accused of possession of bruglar’s tools but the charge was dropped. A judge imposed a five-year prison sentence but suspended it, placing Mitchell on probation for two years.
Authorities later accused Mitchell of violating his probation. In December 2024, he was found guilty of contempt of court, his probation was revoked and he was sentenced to 60 days behind bars.
The latest charges remain allegations. Mitchell is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Maybe he was attempting to communicate with Zaid.