BELLVILLE — The Bellville Police received information from a Polk County law enforcement agency of a subject who was wanted for multiple burglary charges and one warrant for harboring a runaway out of Polk County. Bell- ville Police observed and identified the wanted subject riding a horse on South Tesch Street on Jan. 11.
Officers attempted to get the subject to stop, which he did briefly and then took off into a gallop while on the horse. Bellville PD was able to surround the subject in the First Baptist Church recreational parking lot. However, the subject rode off again and he and the horse ran into the side of a patrol unit. He then fell off his horse and then took off running on foot to evade the officers.
The subject was eventually apprehended by police inside the church’s playground after a short foot pursuit.
He was found with a handgun inside his hoodie. He broke a finger when he fell off the horse, which required medical transport to a Houston hospital.
The subject was identified as Keithrick “KJ” Plattenburg, 18, of Bellville. After being medically discharged from the hospital, Plattenburg was booked into the Austin County Jail in Bellville on the Polk County warrants and charges of Evading Arrest, Criminal Mischief, and Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon.
Bellville Police Chief Jason Smalley said, “This is very concerning since this is the second young adult involved in criminal activity that our agency has had to deal with that has been carrying a handgun within the last couple of weeks.” The horse did not sustain any apparent injury.
