One year in jail for Mason City man who fled Beje Clark Residential Center

MASON CITY — It’s a year in jail for a man who left the BeJe Clark Residential Center in Mason City earlier this year.

Mason City police were called to the center on the morning of October 13th to transport 35-year-old Justin Stauffer to jail for various Department of Corrections-related violations. On arrival, police say Stauffer ran north from the building and boarded a Mason City Transit bus which had stopped nearby on South Harrison. A witness reported Stauffer entering the bus, with officers working with Transit staff to find out which bus he was on.

A Transit staff member reported the bus was at the main terminal downtown and the suspect was still on board. When officers arrived at the terminal, Stauffer fled again on foot, being arrested a short time later in the 100 block of 2nd Northeast.

Stauffer was originally charged with escape from custody as a felon, a Class D felony, but pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of absence from custody, a serious misdemeanor. Judge Adam Sauer this week sentenced Stauffer to a year in jail and fined him $430.