MASON CITY — With children and staff inside of Mason City’s Hoover Elementary school, a 44-year-old parent allegedly poured gasoline around or over her 2026 Toyota Tundra after failing to get through the school’s secured doors, leaving witnesses fearing she would ignite the pickup before police moved in and arrested her.
The September 22 incident added a felony incendiary-device threat charge to Jenny L. Contreras’ growing string of court cases, including pending impersonation and trespassing allegations and three driver’s license cases across Northern Iowa this summer—one of which resulted in a guilty plea.
Mason City Police Chief Mike McKelvey told NIT that school personnel requested officers around noon because they expected a confrontation involving a parent over a custody matter. The call log records the incident at 11:59 a.m. at Hoover Elementary, 1123 Eighth Street NW.
Contreras arrived before police.
Gasoline outside a school filled with students and staff
According to Chief McKelvey, Contreras allegedly tried to enter Hoover but could not get through the secured exterior doors. She allegedly acted disorderly near the entrance, then returned to a 2026 Toyota Tundra she had parked nearby.
Police say she began pouring gasoline around or over the vehicle.
“Observers inside the school feared she was upset and going to ignite the gasoline / vehicle,” McKelvey told NIT. “The school was occupied by numerous students and staff.”
Responding officers streamed into the parking lot. Contreras allegedly climbed into the Toyota and tried to drive away, but officers stopped her.
McKelvey said officers removed Contreras from the vehicle and tried to detain her to prevent further hostile or dangerous actions. She allegedly refused to cooperate or calm down and resisted their efforts.
Officers arrested her and took her to the Cerro Gordo County Jail. The pickup was towed from the scene.
The chief’s account does not describe the gasoline being ignited or Contreras gaining entry to the school.
Felony allegation leads to bond hearing
Jail records list Contreras’ booking at 1:12 p.m. September 22.
McKelvey identified three charges stemming from the incident: threatening to place an explosive or incendiary device, a Class D felony; interference with official acts; and disorderly conduct.
The jail record lists four allegations:
- Threatening or attempting to place an explosive or incendiary device or material, Iowa Code 712.8 — a Class D felony.
- Disorderly conduct involving fighting or violent behavior, Iowa Code 723.4(1)(a).
- Interference with official acts without injury or damage, Iowa Code 719.1(1)(b).
- Fifth-degree criminal mischief involving damage under $300, Iowa Code 716.6(2).
The criminal mischief allegation appears in the jail listing but was not included in McKelvey’s description of the charges. Details explaining that allegation were not provided.
The jail record lists a $5,000 cash-only bond in the defendant’s name and three additional $300 cash-or-surety bonds.
Court records show Contreras appeared September 23 in the felony case. The docket says she was held for bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 2 at 1:15 p.m. as she remains behind bars.
Impersonation and trespassing cases already pending
The Hoover incident came while Contreras had two other unresolved Cerro Gordo County cases involving alleged impersonation of a public official and trespassing.
The impersonation case stems from an alleged July 1, 2026, offense. Contreras is charged with impersonating a public official, an aggravated misdemeanor under Iowa Code 718.2.
Court records show a warrant was served July 2 and cash bond was posted July 6. She entered a written plea of not guilty in August.
A pretrial conference is scheduled for October 19 at 1 p.m., followed by a jury trial November 3 at 8:30 a.m.
In the trespassing case, Mason City police filed a citation alleging first-offense trespass on August 31 under Iowa Code 716.8(1). The court record classifies it as a scheduled violation.
An initial appearance was held September 16. A nonjury trial is scheduled for October 16 at 10:30 a.m., and no adjudication is listed.
The court entries do not explain whom Contreras allegedly impersonated or where the alleged trespassing occurred. Neither establishes a connection to the Hoover incident.
Driver’s license cases span three Northern Iowa counties
Court records also show Contreras was cited for driving without a valid driver’s license in Cerro Gordo, Worth and Hancock counties during July and August.
The Cerro Gordo County case stems from a July 1 offense cited by the sheriff’s office. That case resulted in a guilty adjudication recorded as a negotiated or voluntary plea on July 20.
Contreras (pictured at top) paid $354: a $260 fine, $55 in court costs and a $39 surcharge. The docket records a notice of conviction to the Iowa Department of Transportation the following day.
Two more allegations followed in August, on consecutive days.
The Worth County Sheriff’s Office cited Contreras for allegedly driving without a valid license on August 17. Garner police cited her for the same alleged violation on August 18 in Hancock County.
Both August cases are classified as scheduled violations, and neither supplied court record lists a disposition.
Those earlier cases do not establish her license status on September 22. Driving without a valid license was not among the Hoover-related charges identified by McKelvey or listed in the supplied jail record.
School safety concerns bring police response
The Hoover incident involved an alleged confrontation outside an occupied elementary school, with secured doors preventing the parent from entering before police arrived.
NIT has covered other, unrelated school-safety investigations locally, including a woman’s arrest following emailed threats to the Mason City school district in 2022 and false shooting reports that drew police responses to Mason City and Clear Lake schools in 2023.
Contreras’ July driver’s license case resulted in a guilty adjudication. The other charges described here remain allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
We need to bring back mental institutions.