Start of Mason City man’s kidnapping trial delayed from today to July 31st
MASON CITY — The kidnapping trial of a Mason City man scheduled to start today has been delayed until the end of the month.
24-year-old Moises Erreguin-Labra was charged last June with first-degree kidnapping as well as assault causing bodily injury. Mason City police and fire medics were called to a report on the afternoon of June 9th of last year that a female had been assaulted and held against their will for several days by a man known to them.
A criminal complaint states that Erreguin-Labra locked a female victim in a room in a home in the 400 block of 1st Southwest for at least five days last June, not allowing her to leave, and subjecting her to sexual abuse or torture.
Jury selection in the original trial started two weeks ago, but a mistrial was declared prior to a jury panel being selected.
A new trial was scheduled to start today, but Erreguin-Labra attorney Joseph Lapointe filed for a continuance, stating that none of the defendant’s witnesses can be present this week as they are all working out-of-state. District Judge Chris Foy approved the request for a continuance this morning and rescheduled the trial for July 31st.
If convicted of first-degree kidnapping, a Class A felony, Erreguin-Labra would face the rest of his life in prison without the opportunity for parole.
