OWI Arrest / Child Endangerment / Drug Related Charges
Posted on 11/17/2025
Date: November 17, 2025
Case: OWI Arrest / Child Endangerment / Drug Related Charges
Authority: Sheriff Martin Schulteis
On November 16, 2025, at approximately 4:55PM, Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a disturbance at a residence in the south-central portion of the Village of Richfield. The initial 911 caller reported that a male subject, identified as 40-year-old Connecticut man, was intoxicated and damaging property inside a home.
While deputies were responding, the caller further reported that the man was attempting to leave the residence in a vehicle. The situation escalated when it was reported that the man was preparing to drive away while intoxicated with his 5-year-old child in the vehicle. The caller also stated that the man had been in possession of a firearm earlier in the day and had reportedly placed it to his own head.
As responding deputies entered the subdivision, they observed the vehicle backing down the driveway and then driving toward them without headlights and swerving in and out of the ditch. Deputies positioned their squads to prevent the man from leaving. The driver attempted to drive around the squads through the ditch but collided with the front of one squad before being contained by deputies.
The man was taken into custody at gunpoint without further incident. His 5-year-old child was located in the back seat of the vehicle. A CO₂ pistol closely resembling a real firearm was found on the driver’s side floorboard. Deputies also located a scale containing suspected cocaine residue in the glove compartment.
The man was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated (2nd offense) with a minor in the vehicle, Refusal of Chemical Test, 2nd Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Disorderly Conduct, and multiple drug-related offenses including Possession of Cocaine, Possession of THC, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, along with several traffic citations. A search warrant for an evidentiary blood draw was obtained.
Deputies from the Crisis Response Unit and ACS/CPS responded, and the child was safely placed with a family member for the night.
“The quick thinking and decisive actions of our responding deputies prevented this situation from escalating into a dangerous high-speed pursuit” the sheriff said of the incident. The sheriff further stated, "Their ability to rapidly assess the threat, contain the vehicle, and safely take the suspect into custody reflects the professionalism and courage our community expects from its deputies. I’m extremely proud of their work and grateful that this incident was brought to a safe conclusion without injury to the child, the public, or our personnel.”