Man accused of running from police, entering Dickinson homes

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Officers searched for a 26-year-old Dickinson man for about five hours Thursday after he fled from them and broke into two homes in the city, according to the Dickinson Police Department.

The incident began when family members called police asking them to remove Weston Vetter from their property because he was allegedly on drugs, Sgt. Dave Wilkie said Friday.

“When they went to get Weston he took off running and they lost him somewhere,” he said.

While fleeing, Vetter allegedly entered Melanie Stradling’s home on Cherry Avenue.

She and her 10-year-old son returned home to find a piece of broken wood in their kitchen, which tipped her off that someone had been there, Stradling said.

“I work from home and it was just by chance that I had to go run an errand,” she said. “My son and I were home and then we left. We were only gone 15 minutes so he was in and out.”

Their dog was the only one home at the time, she said.

“He rummaged through our garage, but nothing was stolen or anything like that,” Stradling said. “We live in such a small community that I shouldn’t have to worry about someone just wandering in but he came in and I think my dog scared him off. That’s what I’m assuming.”

Vetter is also accused of entering a home on Franklin Street, Wilkie said.

“He went through an unsecured door, entered the residence and called (police) dispatch, reporting his name was Justin Barber,” Wilkie said. “He was confronted by the owner of the residence and ran out the back door.”

Vetter is believed to have fled on foot through backyards in Dickinson, Wilkie said.

“He was picked up several hours later, admitted that he entered the residence and said he had no idea what he was doing because he was feeling the effects of the drugs that he was taking,” Wilkie said. “When they finally got a hold of him he was extremely confused.”

He allegedly told police he had been doing methamphetamine and was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital, Wilkie said.

“We take them to the hospital to be medically cleared to be taken to jail or to be evaluated for mental health,” he added. “He was not arrested because of the fact that he was committed.”

However, he will likely face criminal charges, possibly for burglary, Wilkie said.

Stradling will be installing a security system. “You go from feeling safe to completely violated and it was at 9:30 or 10 in the morning — that’s supposed to be the safest part of the day,” she said.

Tags: dickinson police department, news, local, crime, drugs, meth