Braden Masten flees Community Correction

On Thursday April 4th, at approximately 8:35 in the morning Field Officers from Marshall County Community Corrections attempted to do a home check on a client living at a residence in the 5,000 block of Pine Road.

The client was 21-year-old Braden D. Masten of Plymouth, who had an active arrest warrant for a theft case.

Arriving at the Pine Road address, Community Corrections staff reported observing Masten exit the residence through a window and flee into a wooded area northeast of the residence.

Officers from the Marshall County Police Department, Plymouth Police Department, Indiana Conservation Officers, and other members of Marshall County Community Corrections responded to the area.  A perimeter was formed around the area, and a K9 unit was summoned to respond to the scene.

After approximately 30 minutes, a K9 unit arrived and began to track Masten. While searching the area, evidence was found that Masten had forcibly removed the ankle monitor he had been court ordered to wear. The K9 unit and officers tracked Masten through the woods and swamps in the area for several hours.

Articles of clothing that Masten was reported to have been wearing were discovered during the track. A drone was also deployed by Indiana Conservation Officers to search the area and at approximately 12:50 P.M., a citizen reported seeing Masten in an open farm field located in the 14,000 block of 5C Road., east of Michigan Road.

Masten was later seen running in the area, but eventually surrendered. He was taken into custody by Marshall County Community Corrections staff and was later transported to the Marshall County Jail.

Branden Daniel Masten was lodged for the active level 5 felony theft warrant, and for a new charge of escape as a level 6 felony.

Readers are reminded that charging information supported by an affidavit of probable cause is merely an allegation that a crime has been committed and that there is only probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. They are presumed innocent throughout the proceedings and are entitled to be represented by counsel and entitled to a trial by jury at which the State is obligated to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt before a judgment of guilt may be made.