Suspect Surrenders After Amber Alert Kidnapping and Domestic Violence Incident

The incident began on Saturday when police responded to a report that Susmilch had choked his girlfriend, threatened to kill her, and sent her a photograph of a black handgun. By the time officers arrived, the girlfriend had escaped the apartment, but Susmilch remained inside with their young daughter, prompting an emergency response.

The Tri-Cities Regional SWAT team surrounded the apartment and attempted to negotiate with Susmilch through text messages sent via his girlfriend’s phone. Although he initially agreed to release the child, he later claimed that neither he nor the girl was inside the apartment. Communication eventually ceased, and when officers entered the apartment several hours later, both Susmilch and his daughter had disappeared. Authorities have not determined how or when they escaped.

The missing child was located unharmed in Pasco early Sunday morning and safely reunited with her family. Following an extensive search involving the Kennewick Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Washington State Department of Corrections, and other law enforcement agencies, Susmilch voluntarily turned himself in on Tuesday. Police thanked the participating agencies for their cooperation and confirmed that he was booked into the Benton County Jail pending further legal proceedings.