Police Drone Finds Suspect In A Haystack

A needle is famously difficult to find in a haystack, but authorities in California say a drone helped them find a suspect in a haystack Sunday after an overnight search.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded late on July 11 to a call from a woman who was “screaming for help.” They arrived to find the woman had been assaulted in a domestic incident, and the suspect had fled.

A search involving deputies, K9 teams and drones continued throughout the night, but turned up nothing. Detectives determined the suspect had likely remained close to the residence, hiding on the property or among outbuildings on a neighboring property. After clearing the suspect’s property Sunday morning, the search zeroed in on a nearby property.

Drone video shared by the sheriff’s office shows the device flying through a barn filled with large haystacks when a person suddenly appears wedged between two large bales.

The sheriff’s office said that as soon as the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Adam Armbuster, was discovered by the drone, he surrendered without incident.

Armbuster was booked into the Placer County Jail on charges of felony domestic violence and felony assault with a deadly weapon, and has since been released on bail.