A Storm Lake man has been sentenced to suspended prison terms and multiple probation periods following his July jury conviction in a case that began with a confrontation in the Scooter’s Coffee drive‑thru earlier this year.
Thirty‑six‑year‑old Martin Guillen received the sentence Sept. 11 from Iowa District Court Judge Adam Miller.
According to the Buena Vista County Attorney’s Office, the charges stem from an April 18 incident in which Guillen entered an occupied vehicle in the Scooter’s drive‑thru and refused to leave. Law enforcement was called, and officers from the Storm Lake Police Department, Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol responded. A struggle ensued as officers attempted to take Guillen into custody, and three officers sustained injuries. While detained, Guillen kicked out a window of a Storm Lake Police Department squad car.
Guillen pleaded not guilty, and a two‑day jury trial began July 14. Jurors found him guilty of trespass, a simple misdemeanor; second‑degree criminal mischief, a Class D felony; and three counts of interference with official acts causing bodily injury, all serious misdemeanors.
At sentencing, the Buena Vista County Attorney’s Office argued Guillen should serve prison time, citing a 20-year criminal history that includes five prior felonies. The Third Judicial District Department of Correctional Services recommended probation instead. Judge Miller ultimately issued suspended sentences: a term not to exceed five years for the felony criminal mischief conviction, with three years of probation; and one‑year suspended sentences for each interference charge, with two years of probation. A fine was imposed for the trespass conviction.
The case was investigated by the Storm Lake Police Department and prosecuted by Buena Vista County Attorney Paul Allen.
