Suspended sentence for Mason City woman who pleaded guilty to arson charge

MASON CITY — It’s a suspended sentence for a Mason City woman who pleaded guilty to an arson charge after a house fire last fall.

46-year-old Shelby Kloberdanz was accused of causing a fire at 414 1st Street Southeast on the afternoon of October 23rd. The Mason City Fire Department at the time of the fire said their crews on arrival to the scene found light smoke from a fire that was almost extinguished by a neighbor with a garden hose on and near the doorsteps at the rear of the structure. The criminal complaint states the fire happened after an argument and Kloberdanz was seen fleeing the area.

Kloberdanz was charged with first-degree arson, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison. As part of a plea agreement, Kloberdanz pleaded guilty in August to one count of second-degree arson, a Class C felony. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors are recommending a suspended prison sentence.

District Judge Chris Foy sentenced Kloberdanz on Wednesday to ten years in prison, with the sentence being suspended, placed her on five years of probation, and ordered her to pay restitution.