MASON CITY — Mason City police nabbed a wanted Northern Iowa sex offender October 16 as he faces separate felony charges accusing him of violating sex offender registration requirements in Cerro Gordo and Franklin counties.
Colin James Zander, 32, is listed in the Mason City police activity log as arrested at 4:31 p.m. on an out-of-jurisdiction warrant and for allegedly driving while barred as a habitual offender under Iowa Code 321.561. The log does not identify which case the outside warrant involved.
Court records show Zander (pictured at top) faces one count of sex offender registration violation, second or subsequent offense, in each county. Both are Class D felony charges, with alleged offense dates of October 8, 2026.
The Cerro Gordo County case had already led to an earlier arrest. Mason City police filed a criminal complaint October 9, and a statewide arrest warrant was issued with a $5,000 cash-only bond. A warrant return filed that day states Mason City police arrested Zander.
Cash bond was posted in that case October 12. A public defender was appointed, and a preliminary hearing is listed for October 26 at 1:15 p.m.
In Franklin County, the sheriff’s department filed a separate criminal complaint, followed by an October 12 order to issue a warrant. Following an October 17 initial appearance, court records listed a $5,000 cash-only bond in Zander’s name, subject to pretrial supervision.
Prosecutors filed a trial information in the Franklin County case October 21. An arraignment is scheduled for November 9 at 10 a.m. A cash-bond posting was also entered October 21. The available records do not establish Zander’s current custody status.
The Iowa Sex Offender Registry lists Zander as a Coulter resident and a Tier 3 registrant subject to quarterly reviews. His registration stems from an October 16, 2014, Franklin County conviction for enticing a minor. The registry lists his age at the time of that offense as 19 and identifies the victim as a male between 14 and 17.
Zander’s run-ins with the law have previously drawn local attention. NorthIowaToday.com reported in December 2016 that he received jail time for drunk driving and violating probation in his teen enticement case. That report detailed a first-offense operating while intoxicated conviction stemming from a Clear Lake incident and a separate probation violation.
The new felony cases allege registration violations. The available docket entries do not explain what specific registration requirements Zander allegedly failed to meet.
Neither felony case shows a disposition in the court records reviewed for this story. Zander is presumed innocent of the pending charges unless and until proven guilty.