Dodge County officials arrest suspect in Horicon manhunt

HORICON -- A manhunt in Horicon was called off Thursday afternoon, Aug. 15, with the suspect, Richard Erdmann, 35, still at large. By Thursday night, Erdmann was in custody.

Law enforcement had the marsh surrounded off Highway 33 behind the Royal Oaks Motel where Erdmann had been staying.

"If Mr. Erdmann is out there watching, we encourage him to turn himself in," said Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt. "It's going to be a lot easier for everybody, a lot easier for him, and we can move past some of these offenses."

Deputies made contact with with Erdmann around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, after someone called in a welfare check. Deputies noticed Erdmann was wanted on three felony warrants out of Fond du Lac.

"He took off out the back of the residence, and for everybody's safety, we wanted to make sure we protected everybody," Sheriff Schmidt said.

Officers from multiple jurisdictions formed a perimeter, while drones and a Wisconsin State Patrol airplane combed through the tall grass and cattails. Infrared technology was also used to detect body heat.

"We are fairly confident that he did get outside the marsh," Sheriff Schmidt said. "We tried to put up a perimeter as quickly as you possibly can, but it's very difficult to plug all the holes."

School officials in the area were put on alert. The John Deere factory nearby secured its entrances for most of the morning. Neighbors checked up on friends and loved ones until the search was called off Thursday afternoon.

"I don't want to leave my in-laws alone too long if he's still out running around," said Susan Krueger, who lives near the police station.

"You get kind of anxious a little bit, but you get a little excited because something's going on," said Joel Krueger, who was checking on family.

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Officials say Thursday evening, Erdmann was taken into custody without incident by the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.