Domestic violence suspect hides in haystack as cops use clever tactic to find him

A California domestic violence suspect discovered there was no place to hide after a police drone located him buried inside a massive haystack, bringing an hours-long manhunt to an end.

Adam Armbruster, 29, was arrested Sunday after deputies, K-9 teams, drones and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Team tracked him to a barn, where investigators said he had burrowed deep into a towering pile of hay in an apparent attempt to evade capture.

The search began late Saturday after deputies responded to reports of a woman screaming for help. Investigators determined the woman had been assaulted in a domestic violence incident, but the suspect had fled before law enforcement arrived.

Deputies searched through the night as they worked to pinpoint Armbruster’s location. Investigators eventually concluded he was likely hiding close to home, either on his own property or in outbuildings on a neighboring parcel.

Special Enforcement Team officers joined the operation Sunday morning, clearing Armbruster’s residence before shifting their search to the neighboring property.

Just before 2 p.m. Sunday, a sheriff’s office drone flying over the area spotted Armbruster concealed inside a giant haystack in a barn.

Video released by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office shows the drone hovering over the haystack before Armbruster, apparently realizing he had been found, waved at the aircraft, climbed out of the hay and surrendered without incident.