Deputies arrest man for carjacking incident in Camden County

CAMDENTON, Mo. (KY3) - Deputies arrested a Lake of the Ozarks man wanted for days for a carjacking incident.

Stephen G Wachholtz, 43, of Eugene, Mo., is jailed in Pulaski County. He does not face charges for the incident.

Investigators say Wachholtz asked the victim for a ride to Dixon. While en route in Camden County, deputies say the victim’s vehicle began to have mechanical issues.

“Allegedly, he attacked her and slammed her head into the steering wheel of the car. When she tried to escape, she grabbed the keys out of her car and tried to run off. He grabbed her by the arm and allegedly bit her in order to get her to release the keys. He then pushed her the rest of the way out of the car, slid over into the driver’s seat, and took off,” said Sgt. Scott Hines, Camden County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say the woman is okay but shaken up.

“I can’t imagine the emotional toll that would take on you to have someone attack you and then push you out of a vehicle out in the middle of nowhere,” said Sgt. Scott Hines of the Camden County Sheriff’s Office. “So that in and of itself was was was pretty bad.”

Wachholtz evaded the law for a few days.

”We got a tip from the public that he may be staying at a place down near Dixon. So we coordinated with investigators and deputies from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office who were able to locate him,” said Sgt. Hines.

The sheriff’s office wants to remind you to stay aware and know your surroundings. Joey Scanlon is a self-defense expert at Lake of the Ozarks.

”We focus primarily on grappling positional control how to control larger, larger opponents using leverage and angles,” says Scanlon.

He says it is essential to get in and train.

“We have drills, but then we do it live action. You’re going to panic Whenever someone’s actually trying to aggressively do it,” said Scanlon.

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