A pair spotted by a neighbor burglarizing a home in Armuth Acres subdivision were arrested after a police pursuit.
Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies were notified by a witness that a home was being burglarized in the 9000 block of East County Road 700N at about 1:46 p.m. Wednesday, Sheriff Matt Myers said.
The daytime burglary attempt is part of an increasing trend in Bartholomew County, the sheriff said.
A neighbor who saw two people taking items out of the house gave deputies a description of the pair’s car, which was located near Shady Lane and U.S. 31, Myers said.
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A chase at speeds of more than 65 mph ensued, the sheriff said.
The vehicle went through the Lowell Addition and then into Princeton Park, which is near where Indianapolis Road branches off U.S. 31 on the north side of Columbus. The vehicle went onto a dead-end street in Princeton Park and then about 75 feet into a muddy field, where the occupants fled on foot, Myers said.
Sheriff’s deputies, Columbus Police Department officers and Indiana State Police troopers chased the man and woman to Paula Drive, where they were caught, Myers said.
The driver of the vehicle, Keith M. Cherry, 28, of Columbus, is being held at the Bartholomew County Jail on a 48-hour hold on arrest charges of burglary and resisting law enforcement with a vehicle, Myers said.
Deputies have also learned he has as many as three warrants in Bartholomew County for failure to appear for driving-while-suspended charges with a previous conviction and a Johnson County warrant for parole violation, Myers said.
Cherry’s passenger, Ashley N. Spachtholz, 29, of Bartholomew County, is also at the jail on a 48-hour-hold after being arrested on charges of burglary and resisting law enforcement on foot, Myers said.
A police K-9 was used to track the two from the Princeton Park field to Paula Drive, and officers found a jacket they believe one of the two discarded while fleeing from police, Myers said.
Detectives have obtained a search warrant and are looking in the vehicle for items stolen from the house, Myers said.
Deputies said they believe cash, electronic equipment and guns were taken from the home.
The pair broke a back window to gain access to the home, Myers said.
“We have seen an increase in daytime burglaries in the last year or so, so it is huge to catch these people,” Myers said.
“All the credit goes to the witness who called and told us about the burglary. It makes a difference when people pick up the phone and tell us about suspicious activity.”
