Austin man arrested in Walmart parking lot faces firearm, stalking charges in MN, IA

(ABC 6 News) – A man arrested in the Austin Walmart parking lot Oct. 4 faces Mower County firearm charges and Cerro Gordo County stalking and assault charges, according to court documents.

Shaninth Michael Ray, 35, was taken into custody after Mason City police contacted Austin police and told them Ray had sent threatening messages to a protected party, including photos of a gun and threats to shoot the person.

Mason City PD and the U.S. Marshall Office allegedly determined that Ray was in Austin, where police and agents from the U.S. Marshall Office took him into custody.

A day later, Austin police allegedly obtained a warrant to search Ray’s car, where they allegedly found a Taurus Ultra-Lite 22-caliber revolver, loaded with nine rounds and held in a zippered duffle bag — not a case.

Police claim they also found two boxes of “22 long rifle ammunition.”

Ray faces the following charges in Mower County: ineligible person in possession of a firearm; ineligible person in possession of ammunition; fugitive from justice in possession of a firearm; and fugitive from justice in possession of ammunition.

According to court documents, Ray has pending stalking and assault causing bodily injury of mental illness cases in Cerro Gordo County.

An additional charge of fugitive of justice was dismissed, as Ray was extradited to Iowa to face the Cerro Gordo charges and several additional charges of violating a No-Contact Order, according to Mower County court documents.

He appeared in Cerro Gordo County Court Friday, Oct. 13.

His next Mower County court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30.

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(ABC 6 News) – An Austin man was arrested on multiple warrants in the Walmart parking lot at 1000 18th Avenue, NW Wednesday evening.

According to Capt. David McKichan with Austin PD, 35-year-old Shaninth Michael Ray was taken into custody at about 5 p.m. Oct. 4, and is currently held at the Mower County Jail.

While Ray has not yet appeared in Mower County Court according to Thursday’s court records, his charges listed on the Mower County Jail Roster include stalking, harassment, and domestic assault.