Editor’s Note: This story includes mention of sexual assault. Resources are available here.
The man who claimed to be armed and barricaded himself in a storm drain for over seven hours in September 2022 will avoid further jail time after pleading guilty to three charges.
On Monday, Monroe County Judge Valeri Haughton sentenced 39-year-old Eli Swartzentruber to two and a half years of probation. He agreed to plead guilty Aug. 2 to attempted battery with a deadly weapon, intimidation and battery resulting in bodily injury, according to court documents.
Swartzentruber had 404 days of jail credit at the time of his sentencing, Monroe County Prosecutor Jeff Kehr said in an email.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office found probable cause for his arrest on Sept. 20 after an incident Sept. 19, 2022, in Seminary Square Park. According to a Probable Cause affidavit, a man reported to police that an unknown man, later identified as Swartzentruber, had assaulted and injured him. Swartzentruber's battery with bodily injury charge was due to this incident.
Morning of Sept. 20, 2022
Police said that early in the morning of Sept. 20, 2022, a woman reported Swartzentruber sexually assaulted and threatened her with a machete, according to a PC affidavit. The woman said he told her he was going to take her with him to live underground. She was in what police described as an “incomplete” cabin. Swartzentruber asked her if she wanted to leave, and she said no. Soon after, he brandished the machete.According to the affidavit, Swartzentruber later began to pack her things. The woman told police Swartzentruber then squeezed her neck with such force the woman had trouble speaking, forced her head toward his face and tried to stick his tongue down her throat, took his pants off and stuffed cash down her shirt, fondling her breasts.
The woman said Swartzentruber continued to act in a way that made her fearful, so she told Swartzentruber she had to use the bathroom and left the cabin with her belongings.
The woman had no visible injuries but told police she had pain to the back of her neck and upper back area. Swartzentruber had already left the cabin when police arrived.
Prosecutors treated this as a separate case and charged him with sexual battery, residential entry and battery resulting in bodily injury. These charges were dismissed Tuesday.
The attempted battery with a deadly weapon and intimidation charges Swartzentruber pleaded guilty to were for incidents that happened afterward.
Later on Sept. 20, 2022
Later that day, Swartzentruber, who police identified as an unhoused man, attempted to hit people in Seminary Square Park with a 3-foot pry bar, Bloomington Police Captain Ryan Pedigo said in 2022.
When officers arrived that morning, Swartzentruber ran and went to a vehicle nearby to retrieve what police thought was a hatchet and proceeded to throw it at people in the park. Swartzentruber was then seen heading southbound toward First Street. Officers could not find Swartzentruber in the area, but clothes similar to what people claimed he was wearing were found near a large storm drain. Pedigo said in 2022 he entered the drain through a very large entry into the ground. When officers yelled down the drain, Swartzentruber warned officers to not come down as he was armed with a rifle. Pedigo said in 2022 that Swartzentruber told officers he would shoot them if they came down.
Multiple police departments, the Indiana State Police SWAT team and other local agencies arrived, and police began searching the tunnel using the City of Bloomington Utilities Department’s small robots typically used to inspect storm drains.
During this time, people were asked to avoid the area from First to Third Street and Morton to Lincoln Street and the area around Dunn Meadow and Franklin Hall. Around 1:45 p.m. that day, everyone in Franklin Hall was evacuated out of the building through the southeast door. All remaining classes that day in Franklin Hall were canceled. The campus bus also avoided the area.
Police used noise diversion devices and an ISP K9 to eventually get Swartzentruber out from the drain.
Around 5 p.m. that day, Swartzentruber emerged from the drain at Sixth Street and Indiana Avenue partially clothed. Police said he had an empty handgun holster, but no guns were found on him or near the drain. However, police found a hand scythe, a machete and several unfired .30-06 rifle cartridges in the drain.
Swartzentruber was taken to IU Health Bloomington to be treated for K9 unit dog bite.
In addition to his attempted battery by means of a deadly weapon and intimidation charges, which he pleaded guilty to, he was charged with striking a law enforcement animal which was dismissed Monday.
A list of resources is available here if you or someone you know has experienced sexual harassment or abuse.
