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Indiana State Police troopers found a suspect up a tree after he allegedly threatened a person with an axe and stole a truck, which he used to ram another vehicle.
According to a news release from the ISP, on Saturday, Aug. 9 troopers with the Indiana State Police Bremen Post responded to assist the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office to locate a suspect that allegedly had fled from a chaotic scene in the 9000 block of North Ind. 13. At this scene, Michael Baker, 39, Cromwell, allegedly threatened the victim with an axe and then stole a black Ford pickup truck and used this Ford to ram into another vehicle before fleeing.
When troopers arrived, they saw tracks in the grass leading to a wooded area north of the scene. While a Kosciusko County deputy spoke to the victim, Troopers Matt Drudge, Aaron Price and John Wilson and a deputy followed the tracks into the woods and found the stolen Ford abandoned at approximately 11 p.m. Wilson used his K9 partner, Daisy, to begin a track to locate Baker. After approximately a half hour into the track, officers on the track heard yells for help coming from deeper in the woods, the release states.
Officers attempted to yell for Baker to determine where he was but did not hear a response. They then began a grid search and at approximately 12:19 a.m. located Baker approximately 20 feet up in a tree. Baker had taken his T-shirt and tied it in a loop around his neck and the tree to help him stay in the tree.
Officers talked Baker into coming out of the tree and he fell while attempting to climb down. Baker became wedged in some branches, approximately 10 feet from the ground. Baker eventually fell to the ground and was taken into custody.
Medics were called to the scene to evaluate Baker, who was then transported to the Kosciusko County Jail for charges related to the investigation by the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office.
Charges filed against Baker included communication - intimidation draws/uses a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle, criminal mischief with a loss of at least $750 but less than $50,000, criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash. His preliminary bond totaled $22,500.
