After nearly two weeks of searching, a man who had been missing in the Birch Creek area in Pondera County was found and taken into custody Sunday evening in Heart Butte.
The individual, originally from Texas, is now being held at Pondera County Jail on a $25,000 bond for burglary; his name has not been released.
Brianna Juneau reports - watch the video here:
The Pondera County Sheriff’s Office says the incident began when deputies were advised of a suspicious person north of Birch Creek off Highway 89 on the Blackfeet Reservation.
A Sheriff's deputy and a Blackfeet law enforcement officer responded, but the man fled before they could locate him. His vehicle was later towed from the scene to Conrad for further investigation.
Deputies contacted the man’s family in Texas, who had told them he had been working near West Glacier and had been in touch with them previously. Family members said the man was not violent but suffered from paranoia.
Six days later, deputies responded to an intruder call at a residence about a mile southwest of the original location.
Sheriff's deputies, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Glacier County officers, Blackfeet Fish & Wildlife Game Wardens, and Montana Highway Patrol all joined the search, which also used drones and a helicopter from Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Communication between agencies indicated the man appeared to be experiencing a mental health episode but was not believed to be armed or violent. Despite several reported sightings, the man remained at large for 11 days.
Sarah Kuka, who first encountered the man at her grandparent’s property, said she was shaken but tried to help.
“First thing he asked, he said, can you help me? And I said, what do you need help with? And he said, well, I’m being followed,” she explained. “He didn't seem like he was dangerous. He was just very, very genuinely scared.”
Kuka believes that he was convinced he was being followed and allowed her to call the police for assistance. When the officers arrived, he had abandoned his vehicle and took off wearing only a light jacket.
“That's what baffled me is how could he be surviving that long with just that jacket? And it was cold. I wanted to help but I didn’t know what to do. I’m glad he has been found,” Kuka added.
On Sunday evening, Blackfett Law Enforcement Services notified the Pondera County Sheriff’s Office that the suspect had been located in Heart Butte.
Officers from both agencies met, and the man was taken into custody without incident.
Pondera County Sheriff Robert Skorupa confirmed the man is being held on a $25,000 bond for burglary, and wants to thank everyone involved in the search.
