Man Arrested After Using Mushrooms and Damaging Property at an Otter Tail County Airbnb

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Otter Tail County, MN – An Iowa man was arrested Sunday after taking mushrooms and damaging property at an Airbnb in Otter Tail County.

According to court documents, deputies received a call from a woman at an Airbnb who said her boyfriend, later identified as 18-year-old Synceer Kelz Lewis of Pleasant Hill, was out of control after taking mushrooms, throwing and breaking items. She also said he had tried to strangle her.

When deputies arrived, they could see Lewis on an upper level of the rental, and he was not wearing clothing. When a Sergeant asked Lewis to come downstairs, he started yelling incoherently before throwing a large circular mirror and a fake plant from the loft balcony down into the living room.

After being told to stop throwing things, Lewis got up on the ledge of the balcony. Court documents say law enforcement went upstairs to make contact, at which point Lewis threw cash at the sergeant and tried to reach out and grab a deputy’s face.

Lewis was arrested and brought to Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls for evaluation. Deputies say he tried to pull away from officers and became increasingly combative in the examination room. Medical staff placed a mask on Lewis, worried that he would spit, which he did after removing his mask multiple times.

Prosecutors say a spit hood was placed on Lewis, but he bit through it and destroyed it. He was then placed in medical restraints, but he continued to thrash and eventually bit his own bicep. Deputies say his mouth had to be pried away from his arm before medical staff administered medication to calm him down.

Deputies say they spoke with Lewis after he had calmed down and was speaking more coherently, and he told them he did not recall the incident. He said it was his second time taking mushrooms and the first time he did not experience similar effects.

Lewis made his first court appearance Monday morning and has been charged with obstructing the legal process with force and misdemeanor domestic assault.