A resident left a supervised facility without authorization, prompting staff to initiate a search after she could not be located during a routine count.
On April 5 at approximately 9:20 a.m., a residential officer conducting a routine count was unable to locate Madeline Otto, 26, of Grinnell.
According to a criminal complaint, residential staff reviewed surveillance footage and information provided by other residents. The video showed Otto leaving through the women’s yard gate on the east side of the facility at approximately 8:59 a.m. and not returning. Authorities stated that Otto did not have permission from staff to leave the building, placing her in violation of facility rules.
Otto was later located at the Quality Inn in Ottumwa at approximately 8:55 p.m.
Court records indicate that Otto has prior convictions for burglary, operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent, and criminal mischief.
She is currently being held in the Wapello County Jail on a $5,000 cash/surety bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 16.
Otto is charged with Escape from Custody, a Class D felony.
Editors Note: All information was obtained from court documents related to the ongoing investigation.
