Plea agreement reached in Mason City bar stabbing case
MASON CITY — A plea agreement is in place for a Mason City man accused of stabbing five people at a downtown bar last summer.
Police were called to “The Place 2B” at 116 North Federal at about 10:15 PM on the night of July 4th. Injuries sustained by the victims were non-life-threatening. 39-year-old Raul Arias was charged with five counts of willful injury causing serious injury as well as going armed with intent.
Arias had originally pleaded not guilty to the charges with his trial scheduled to start in June, but he has now entered an Alford plea in the case where he does not admit guilt but acknowledges there’s enough evidence to likely convict him.
As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors are recommending ten-year prison sentences for two of the willful injury counts as well as a five-year sentence for the armed with intent count, with those sentences to run consecutively. The sentences on the other charges would be served at the same time.
Had he been convicted of all the charges, he would have faced 55 years in prison.
Arias is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14th in Cerro Gordo County District Court.