A 24-year-old Salina man was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon at a Abilene Motel as a person of interest in the case of 27-year-old Salina woman who has been missing for two weeks.

Lt. Scott Siemsen says Joel M Heil was arrested at the Americas Best Value Inn in Abilene late in the afternoon Wednesday on charges unrelated to the case of Kristen Tyler who was last heard from the evening of April 25th.

Siemsen said the Abilene Police Department, Dickinson County Sheriffs Office assisted the Salina Police Department’s Special Response Team in the arrest of Heil.

The SRT team forced open the door of the motel room, and Heil was taken into custody without incident.

Heil was booked into the Dickinson County on charges of probation violation and failure to appear.

Heil spent the night Wednesday in the jail in Abilene. He had been staying at the motel for just a couple of days according to Siemsen.

Siemsen said the investigation leads authorities to suspect foul play is involved in the disappearance, but won’t know until Tyler is located.

Siemsen would not comment due to the ongoing investigation what made Heil a person of interest in the case.

Captain Brian Shea of the Saline County Sheriffs Office said just under three dozen members of the Sheriffs Office, the Sheriffs Office Reserves, and Saline County Mounted Patrol and Rescue Squad searched county roads Wednesday evening looking for Tyler. And that a smaller number of law enforcement would continue to look in various areas of the county during the day Thursday.

The Sheriffs Office also searched an auto salvage location west of Salina after a tip was called to Tyler’s mother Monday saying her body would be found there. Nothing was found .

Salina Police ask if you think you might have any information concerning the case to call 785-826-7210 or call Crimestoppers at 785-825-TIPS.