Plea change hearing set for Mason City man accused of burglary

MASON CITY — A plea change hearing has been scheduled for a Mason City man accused of burglary.

27-year-old Jesse Rafael was arrested on September 21st and charged with first-degree burglary after allegedly entering a home in the 300 block of West State on May 28th and assaulting a victim by choking and punching him.

A criminal complaint says investigators found blood near the door of the residence, which after a DNA swab and test came back as a positive match to Rafael.

Authorities say the DNA match also connects Rafael to a burglary in November 2017 in the 1500 block of Meadowbrook Drive where he allegedly broke through a garage window, stealing tools and a bicycle.

Rafael was originally scheduled to be in court for a pre-trial conference on Tuesday, but court records show a plea change hearing has now been scheduled for November 14th in Cerro Gordo County District Court.