Following continued investigation of a mysterious incident yesterday in which a man claiming to have been shot stumbled out of the woods, the Vermont State Police have identified the individual involved in this incident as Ryan Sturtevant-Hatch, 30, who has no fixed address.

Investigators have learned that Sturtevant-Hatch had left a drug treatment and recovery facility Monday in violation of court-ordered conditions and had been staying in a rental cabin on Cabin Lane in Waterbury with two acquaintances. On Tuesday night, he began destroying property and damaging the residence, causing the two acquaintances to flee the cabin. At some point overnight, Sturtevant-Hatch appears to have injured himself by jumping out of the cabin through a window. He subsequently told police that he was injured when an assailant broke into the cabin and fired multiple rounds at him from a handgun, but no evidence was located at the scene to indicate a shooting had occurred.

The Stowe Police Department had been searching for Sturtevant-Hatch to arrest him for violating court conditions, which stemmed from an underlying assault and robbery case. Stowe police officers took him into custody Wednesday night upon his discharge from the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. He was transported to the Northeast Correctional Complex in St. Johnsbury and jailed for lack of $200 bail and an approved residence. Further questions about the Stowe case should be directed to the Stowe Police Department.

A court appearance for Sturtevant-Hatch is expected as soon as Thursday in the Criminal Division of Vermont Superior Court in Hyde Park.

Highgate Center teen faces charge for high speed, reckless driving – At 3:44 pm on February 15, a state trooper observed a vehicle traveling southbound at an egregiously high rate of speed – 108 MPH in a 65 MPH zone on I-89 in Fairfax.

As the trooper was catching up to the motor vehicle, it was observed driving aggressively by following unreasonably close to other motorists and making sudden lane changes. A motor vehicle stop was conducted in Milton.

Driver Emma Chevalier (19) of Highgate Center was fined $641 and cited to appear in court for negligent operation.

Preschool embezzlement – A former Windham County preschool director faces embezzlement charges, state police say.

In November 2021, state police began an investigation into a report of embezzlement by a former employee of Timson Hill Preschool located in Williamsville, Vermont. The employee, identified as Rebecca McCuller, 54, was employed as the school director for approximately four years, from 2017 until 2021.

It was later discovered unauthorized funds had been misallocated to McCuller into a personal account rather than the official school account. Following the completion of the Vermont State Police investigation, on Wednesday, February 15, a citation was issued to McCuller through her attorney for her to appear at 10 AM March 21 in the Criminal Division of Windham Vermont Superior Court to answer to the charge of embezzlement.