Man arrested after attempting to drown K-9 during chase

STEUBEN COUNTY, Ind. (WPTA/Gray News) - Officials in Indiana with the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office said a 31-year-old Georgia man is facing multiple charges after he attempted to drown one of their K-9 officers during a foot pursuit on Monday.

Investigators said they were called around 3:30 p.m. Monday about a reported trespassing in the 3900 block of East County Road 200 North in rural Scott Township. The property owner said a man and a woman were on their property for an unknown reason.

Deputies arrived at the home and said they saw the two suspects being confronted by the property owner. They then approached the suspects with K-9 units when officials said the pair ran off into the nearby woods.

The property owner chased the trespassers in a utility terrain vehicle, helping deputies and K-9s track down the suspects.

Deputies said say they warned the suspects that they would release a K-9 if they did not stop, but the pair continued to run. K-9 Klara was then set loose.

According to the sheriff’s office, the woman eventually surrendered and was taken into custody. She was identified as 35-year-old Hollie Sue Richter, of Fremont.

The female suspect was identified as 35-year-old Hollie Sue Richter, of Fremont, Indiana.(Steuben County Sheriff's Office)

The man she was with continued to run, deputies said, but he was later tracked down by the K-9 as he was going down into a large creek.

The department said the K-9 bit the suspect, identified as 31-year-old Skyler Austin Robertson, when he allegedly grabbed the dog by the collar and forced her head under the water in what deputies called an apparent attempted drowning.

The dog released her bite to free herself from the water, and the man tried to take off once more, but was apprehended by Indiana State Police.

K-9 Klara was taken to an area veterinarian and treated for water in the lungs and is expected to recover, police say.

Robertson, of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and Richter were treated for their injuries before being transported to the Steuben County Jail and booked on preliminary charges.

Robertson faces two counts of resisting law enforcement, and one count of interfering or striking a law enforcement animal. He was also found to have an active arrest warrant for failure to appear on resisting law enforcement and possession of marijuana charges.

Richter was charged with one count of resisting and also had active arrest warrants for failure to return to lawful detention, possession of methamphetamine and escape from community corrections.

Both are being held without bond pending an initial court appearance.