WEBBERVILLE — A local man who allegedly led a high-speed chase in Fowlerville in late March has pled guilty to attempting to tamper with an electronic monitoring device in Ingham County.
Dustin Watters, 37, of Webberville, pled guilty Tuesday, May 2, during a preliminary examination. He was originally charged with tampering with an electronic monitoring device — a felony.
He was arraigned April 14, about three weeks after the chase. Police say he will be charged with fleeing and eluding, resisting and obstructing police, retail fraud in the third degree, habitual offender, and absconding parole for that incident. The Livingston County 53rd District Court does not yet have records of Watters being arraigned on those charges.
He will be sentenced for the tampering charge at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, in 55th District Court in front of Judge Donald L. Allen.
The incident in Fowlerville began when Watters, who police say had several outstanding warrants, failed to stop for officers. Officers initially pursued Watters, they said, but called it off for “the safety of the public.”
“I called the pursuit off when the suspect began driving erratic(ly) and was driving over 100 mph,” Fowlerville Police Chief John Taylor wrote in an email. “When a pursuit is initiated, you take into account the totality of circumstances.”
Watters’ vehicle was later spotted driving to a home in Ingham County. Officers surrounded the residence and, after several attempts at negotiation, an entry team went into the house. A K9 unit from the East Lansing Police Department located Watters hiding under an enclosed deck, according to a release.
— Contact reporter Patricia Alvord at palvord@livingstondaily.com
