Man faces multiple charges after Monday afternoon pursuit through Charles City

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

An Ottumwa man who was released from prison last November is facing a multitude of charges after allegedly leading law officers from two departments on a high-speed chase Monday afternoon through parts of Charles City and into rural Floyd County before being apprehended north of the city.

According to records filed in Floyd County District Court and to reports by the Charles City Police Department and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office, police attempted to make a traffic stop for a registration violation at about 2:14 p.m. Monday in the 900 block of Grand Avenue.

Tylor Michael Rooney, age 22, allegedly fled the traffic stop in the vehicle he was driving, a white 2000 Ford Escort, and a pursuit took place through the north side of town by Charles City police officers and Floyd County sheriff’s deputies.

Rooney lost control at the intersection of 13th Avenue and Cleveland Avenue, according to the reports, striking a phone junction box and then striking several patrol cars when officers tried to box him in.

In one of the criminal complaints, it said Rooney “rammed the driver’s side of my patrol car in an attempt to escape.”

Rooney continued north out of town, pursued by Floyd County deputies with the assistance of Charles City police, allegedly at speeds greater than 25 mph over the posted limit, the reports said, and was taken into custody by deputies in the 1800 block of Cleveland Avenue after a motor vehicle accident.

He was charged with six counts of stop sign violations, driving while suspended, operating a non-registered vehicle, no proof of insurance, operating while intoxicated, eluding police officers, assault involving a police officer, criminal mischief and failure to maintain control. The eluding and assault charges are Class D felonies.

Multiple other charges are pending, the reports said. Troopers from the Iowa State Patrol also assisted with the incident.

Rooney’s hometown is listed in various court documents as Fairfield, Davenport and most recently Ottumwa. He is currently in custody at the Floyd County Jail.

In addition to several lesser crimes, Rooney was convicted in Scott County in 2015 of lascivious acts with a child as part of an agreement that dropped two other charges of third-degree sexual abuse.

He was placed on probation for three years, required to register as a sex offender and placed under lifetime supervision of the Department of Corrections. Rooney had his probation revoked twice on that sentence.

He was convicted in Van Buren County in 2017 of the aggravated misdemeanor of eluding, as part of a plea agreement that reduced the charge from a felony and dropped two other felony charges of assault on a police officer and second-degree theft. He was sentenced to up to two years in prison.

Rooney was convicted in Muscatine County in May 2019 of the charge of operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent, as part of a plea agreement that reduced that charge from second-degree theft for allegedly stealing or being in the possession of at least two stolen automobiles.

He was sentenced to up to two years in prison, but the sentence was to run concurrently with the previous two convictions, so much of the time had already been served.

Court records indicate Rooney was released from prison in November 2019, and parole on the convictions ended April 20.