Mason City man pleads guilty to willful injury

MASON CITY – A Mason City man plead guilty to felony willful injury after a fight last year at a local park that involved a stabbing.

According to police, on June 16th, 2013, at approximately 3:10 pm, police officers were dispatched to Morgan Timberland Park (near 6th Street SW and South Van Buren Avenue) on a report of several males fighting. One of them was reported to have a knife.

Officers arrived and observed Anthony Earl Hopkins, 42, walking away from the location carrying an opened bottle of liquor while other subjects were also leaving the park on foot. Officers arrested Hopkins for public intoxication. Officers also learned that a male was at the hospital being treated for apparent knife-wounds possibly related to the altercation at Timberland Park. Officers spoke to potential witnesses and searched the area for evidence.

Police charged Hopkins with Willful Injury (a Class D Felony) later that evening. The victim’s injuries were not life-threatening. He was treated and released the same afternoon.

After a number of continuances, Hopkins pled guilty and was sentenced on May 9, 2014. Judge Annette Boehlje sentenced Hopkins to a 5 year suspended prison sentence, a suspended fine of $750 and three years of probation. He is now in the Cerro Gordo County Jail, “awaiting bed space” at Beje Clark halfway house for an undisclosed amount of time to be served there.

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