Hope House escapee arrested after doing meth

Hunter
8/29/19

A Hope House resident who left the facility in May has been apprehended after an incident last week in Iowa City.

According to authorities, 20-year-old Mustafa Elsemeih returned from a personal pass to the Hope House the evening of May 20th and tested positive for alcohol consumption. He was told not to leave the building, but approximately 20 minutes after he arrived, he took off running from the facility and never returned.

On August 22nd, officers responded to the 200 block of South Lucas Street in reference to a male doing meth and throwing glass at people at 11:25pm. Upon arrival, officers learned the person was Elsemeih, and there were active warrants for his arrest.

Officers saw an altercation between Elsemeih and a female while at the front door. He was also starting fights with other tenants inside the residence. When officers ordered Elsemeih to stop and come downstairs, he ran upstairs and jumped out of a third story window. He ran a few blocks while being chased and was eventually caught.

Elsemeih was charged with escape of a felon, two counts of possession of a controlled substance second offense, and interference with official acts causing bodily injury, as an officer suffered an injury while taking Elsemeih into custody. Those charges carry a total possible sentence of up to nine years in prison. The original drug charges that landed him at Hope House in the first place carry a total sentence of up to 25 months in prison.