SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating a burglary suspect.

Just after 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, sheriff’s deputies were sent to the 2100 block of East Schilling Road after the report of someone trying to break into the office of Johnson Sand, according to Saline County Undersheriff Roger Soldan.

When deputies arrived they found the building had been broken into and noticed a pickup with a welder in the back was stuck in the mud. There were also footprints leading away from the pickup.

In a search of the area they found Johnathan Ahlvers, 33, McPherson, in a sand pit hiding behind cattails.

Ahlvers began to swim away, was told by a deputy he would not be able to cross it, before he began swimming back to the edge of the pit. He told deputies he was having trouble breathing and could not get to the top of the pit.

Emergency Medical Staff transported Ahlvers was to the hospital, then on to jail.

He is being held on requested charges of burglary, felony theft, trespassing, and criminal damage to property.

Deputies recovered two laptop computers from the edge of the sand pit, which had been taken from the office building, according to Soldan.