A Richland man was arrested Friday afternoon following a manhunt in Houston.
Justin W. Wendt, 32, of 305 E. Main St. in Richland, was arrested for having multiple active arrest warrants from multiple agencies.
Wendt, who is also reportedly a suspect in a Houston Police Department burglary case, was arrested after a pursuit that began when information was received that he was going to be located in the Walmart parking lot near the State Farm building. Officers searched the area and found the vehicle Wendt was supposed to be driving, but not him.
A friend of Wendt’s who was at the scene told an officer he had walked toward Dollar General. After that, officers from the HPD, Texas County Sheriff’s Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol spent 3 1/2 hours looking for Wendt. At about 3 p.m., information was received that Wendt was at McDonald’s. After being told Wendt had fled before their arrival, officers conducted a search of a wooded area behind the restaurant. He was found lying down in thick grass and arrested.
Wendt’s warrants included failure to appear charges in Laclede County and Pulaski County (both on a drug possession charges), a probation and parole absconder bond capias charge and St. Robert Police Department shoplifting charge.