18-year-old sentenced to prison in four separate cases – Austin Daily Herald

An Austin 18-year-old has been sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison for a rash of violent crimes committed in 2023 and January of 2024.

Izaiah Frank Fuentes was convicted and sentenced to prison Thursday in Mower County District Court in four cases that involved a firearm. The maximum sentence he received was 36 months or three years in prison for second degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

He also received a sentence of 24 months in prison for felony receiving stolen property in a second case and 18 months in prison for felony terroristic threats-reckless disregard of risk in yet another case.

In the fourth case he was sentenced to 13 months in prison for felony possession of ammunition/pistol/assault weapon while under the age of 18 and another 12 months and one day for felony receiving stolen property.

Sentences in all four cases are to run concurrently.

Fuentes was 17 at the time of all four crimes, but was certified to adult court in February of 2024. 

According to the court documents, his first run-in with law enforcement during this string was on June 5, 2023, when an Austin Police Officer was dispatched to a report of a stolen handgun from a vehicle where the owner had forgot to lock the car after retrieving something else. Surveillance video showed an individual walking past the residence at around 4 a.m.

Then on June 20, the Austin Police Department and Mower County Sheriff’s Department responded to a call of an individual walking toward Sumner Elementary School with a gun. 

During the investigation, law enforcement were led to an incident in the 1100 block of Eighth Street NW where Fuentes had pointed a gun at another male during a confrontation.

While searching the area, an APD officer saw Fuentes running and ordered him to stop, but Fuentes continued running. A Tazer was used, but because of the clothing he was wearing it had no effect. It was later determined the gun recovered during the incident was the same gun reported stolen.

The next three cases were entwined with another, starting with a report on Jan. 24 where Fuentes had used a gun to threaten another juvenile. According to the court complaint, Fuentes was upset that the juvenile was dating his ex-girlfriend.

Then, on Jan. 28, an officer was dispatched to the Dollar General in Austin for a report that Fuentes once again had threatened another, this time over a drug deal, within the store. An employee at the store observed some of what was happening and heard parts of the conversation involving drugs. 

When arrested, Fuentes was found to be in possession of the same handgun used in a pair of the other cases, which had been reported stolen from Albert Lea and was the basis for the fourth case.