By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review
The estranged husband of a missing person was arrested Friday and facing felony charges, as a search continues for the rural Dodge County woman.
Crystal Rasch, 37, was last seen June 11 and was reported missing June 23. On Thursday, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department released information on the investigation to the public and asked people to stay away from the search area in Clyman, Wis.
Cell phone pings from Crystal Rasch’s phone last reached a tower in Adams County, near where her estranged husband’s family owns land, police said.
Zachariah Rasch, 42, was arrested after he allegedly made unauthorized charges to his wife’s financial accounts. Court records show the couple have a contested divorce hearing set for Aug. 8, while Mr. Rasch had a domestic abuse restraining order filed against him in September.
Now, Mr. Rasch faces seven counts of misappropriation of identification information to obtain money, all felony charges. According to court filings, Mr. Rasch allegedly used his wife’s credit cards to purchase chemical resistant gloves, stain remover, liquid drain opener, carpet cleaner, auto air freshener and wipes, among other purchases. The criminal complaint also lists several cash withdrawals.
A detective obtained video of Zachariah Rasch making the purchases, court documents state.
A 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse owned by Mr. Rasch was located in Adams County, considered to have “significant evidentiary value,” and is being analyzed by the state crime lab, police said.
The suspect appeared Friday for an initial appearance, where the judge found probable cause to charge him. He is currently being held at the Dodge County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office says that they are continuing to investigate Crystal’s disappearance. No additional information has been released as of Friday afternoon.
