The estranged husband of a missing Wisconsin woman Crystal Rasch was arrested this week – three weeks after her family last heard from her.
42-year-old Zachariah Rasch is in trouble with the law for charges of identity theft. His actions came to light when he made purchases using his spouse’s credit cards. The items he bought included cleaning supplies such as gloves, stain remover, carpet cleaner, and drain cleaner during this month.
Each of the counts against Rasch accuses him of using Rasch’s debit card several times, with surveillance video linking him to the purchases.
In total, Dodge County cops said the purchases added up to over $6,500 – all made in different stores miles apart.
Airing the update Friday, authorities added how they tracked Crystal’s cellphone to nearby Adams County, where Rasch’s family owns the property. An ensuing search turned up his car, which they said has significant evidentiary value.
The car is being processed at the state crime lab in Madison, as cops said they are still treating the case like that of a missing person.
‘The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to the investigation into the disappearance of Crystal Rasch and has dedicated every available resource to locating her,’ their statement read.
‘As part of the investigation, earlier this week, investigators were able to look into the financials of Crystal.
‘We found that numerous transactions had taken place using her financial accounts,’ the office revealed.’
A criminal complaint filed that morning explained how Crystal’s estranged husband, a man who currently resides in the rural village of Clyman, was responsible for the transactions.
‘They were processed without consent,’ cops said.
Security footage obtained by investigators further revealed how Rasch was alone when he made the purchases – all with Crystal’s credit cards.
All were made after her family says they last saw her on June 11, along with multiple cash withdrawals as well, a criminal complaint said.
She was reported missing by her stepmother, who contacted cops on June 23 after finding her car at the aforementioned residence with no explanation from her suspect son.
She told officers how she was unable to reach Crystal by phone, sparking a now week-long search into the woman’s whereabouts.
Family members have since come forward to claim they’ve received suspicious message’s from the woman’s Facebook account, which, based on the language and tone used, appeared to not be her.
That development was detailed in the criminal complaint that’s been filed against Rasch, which frames him as a estranged husband with a history of harassing his spouse.
Upon learning this, authorities wrote how they questioned Rasch about her disappearance, and whether he had had any recent contact with Crystal.
He denied having seen her, the complaint said.
Investigators later uncovered the financial records showing the suspicious transactions, which were then confirmed by surveillance clips.
All were made on Crystal’s credit and debit card in the days after she was last seen.
After being pressed about the purchases, Rasch eventually owned up to lying, cops said – describing how he confessed to making numerous unauthorized purchases using her account.
A subsequent search warrant of Rasch’s residence turned up $1,800 in cash from a dresser drawer and $1,345 from a wallet, police said in the criminal complaint filed with the Dodge County Circuit Court.
deputies added how they were able to ping and trace two phone numbers belonging to Crystal, with last known location for one tracked on June 8 near Juneau, which is in Dodge County.
The other phone pinged near Adams – where Rasch’s family lives – on June 17, and showed a call on June 10 from that same area.
Despite still treating the investigation as a missing person’s case, cops said that they are also handling it ‘as a case in which a serious felony has likely been committed.’
Crystal, meanwhile, has yet to be found. As for Rasch, he is being held at the Dodge County Jail on $250,000 bond.