North Liberty man found guilty of Rec Center beating given suspended sentence

Hunter
12/16/20

A North Liberty man who was found guilty in the July 2019 beating of a man outside the North Liberty Rec Center was given a suspended sentence at his hearing this week.

20-year-old Rasean Yates of Savannah Drive is accused of beating the man into unconsciousness and continuing the attack while the man was lying unconscious. It reportedly took several officers to arrest Yates and get him into a squad car. He allegedly continued to threaten officers even after he was arrested, demanding to have his handcuffs removed so he could fight them.

The other suspect in the incident, 20-year-old Pacific Achiza, was sentenced last November to five years in prison and ordered to have no contact with the victim through November 2024. Yates was also due to be sentenced last year, but his hearing was continued six times.

On Monday, Judge Paul Miller sentenced Yates to two days in jail on Interference with Official Acts Causing Injury, and gave him a $625 suspended fine. On the more serious charge of Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury, Miller gave him a five year suspended sentence and four years of probation. The $750 fine was also suspended.

Yates could have been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison.

The no contact order between Yates and the victim is in effect through December 14th, 2025.