News

Orange City, Iowa — A man who once lived in Maurice and had evaded capture for nearly nine years has agreed to plea “guilty” in a plea agreement in regard to a 2006 stabbing.

According to court documents, now-37-year-old Roberto Martinez-Marcial, also known as Carlos Osuna was accused of assaulting a man who was with Martinez-Marcial’s ex-girlfriend in a home in Sioux Center in December of 2006.

But until August of this year, Martinez-Marcial had evaded law enforcement by living under assumed names and false identification. Authorities finally apprehended him in July of this year in Wichita, Kansas.

Martinez-Marcial originally pled not guilty in August of this year, but in a plea agreement, he agreed to plead guilty to assault with intent to commit serious injury, third-degree burglary instead of first degree burglary, and going armed with intent. The ageement says he will serve a six-month jail sentence on the assault charge. It also says he will receive a suspended five-year prison sentence on the other two charges. He will be subject to deportation when he is released.

The sentencing date has not yet been set.

When Martinez-Marcial was arrested on the outstanding warrant in July, Sioux County Attorney Thomas Kunstle reviewed the case and found assault with intent to commit serious injury to be a more accurate charge than attempted murder. So that charge was changed at that time.

Marcus, Iowa — One woman was airlifted to a Sioux City hospital after an accident on Sunday afternoon near Marcus.

The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office reports that about 5:30 PM, 46-year-old Kristine Zylstra-Tabke of Marcus had parked a 2013 Volkswagen on Almond Avenue, just north of C38 to let her dog out to run. That’s about five miles south of Marcus and three miles west.

Zylstra-Tabke was out of her vehicle with the dog, when a 2002 white Dodge pickup, driven by 34-year-old Brian Dean Kelley of Remsen was southbound on Almond Avenue and struck Zylstra-Tabke on the roadway, causing her to be thrown into the west ditch. Kelley had lost control of the vehicle and it entered the west ditch.

The Marcus Ambulance took Zylstra-Tabke to Cherokee Regional Hospital and Mercy Air Care later flew her to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City.

Kelley was arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated and was taken to the Plymouth County Jail. Kelley reported no injuries at the time of the investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office says the investigation continues. They say additional charges are pending.

Sheldon, Iowa — The news that a disgruntled employee admitted hacking into the protected computer system of a Storm Lake college has gotten the attention of administrators at Northwest Iowa Community College.

Late last week a Nebraska man who is accused of hacking into computers at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake entered into a plea agreement in Federal Court.

Northwest Iowa Community College President, Dr. Alethea Stubbe says incidents like the one in Storm Lake definitely raise the awareness of the level of computer security at NCC.  She says computer security is an ongoing process at the Sheldon college.

Forty-six year-old David Boyer pleaded guilty to unauthorized access to a protected computer in U-S District Court in Sioux City last week. Prosecutors claim when he didn’t get the promotion he wanted at Buena Vista University, Boyer accessed, without authorization, several of the Storm Lake university’s computers and e-mail accounts. Boyer reportedly admitted from October of 2009 through June of 2010, he accessed protected computers at BV. Prosecutors say Boyer took the action when he wasn’t promoted to become head of the information technology department at Buena Vista. The plea agreement calls for Boyer to pay 100-thousand dollar in restitution. No sentencing date has been set.