SPPD finds firearm connected to Songbird Ln. burglary, thanks to outside K-9

By Brandi Makuski

STEVENS POINT – The Stevens Point Police Department located a firearm believed to have been used in a felony with the help of a K-9 team from Sentry Insurance.

On Sept. 25, at around 1:28 p.m., Stevens Point police contacted Security Officer Daniel Wachowiak and his K-9 partner Ares, requesting their assistance in locating a firearm used in a crime the day prior near Songbird Lane. Wachowiak and Ares, a dual-purpose firearms detection dog, were asked to search a wooded area on the east side of the city.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., K-9 Ares indicated a specific area in the woods, where detectives found a loaded revolver hidden beneath several tall ferns. The firearm is believed to have been used in a felony on Sept. 24.

Ares has been working with Wachowiak at Sentry Insurance since 2021, when the company’s K-9 program was created. Both graduated from Von Liche Kennels in Indiana that same year.

The Stevens Point Police Department expressed gratitude to Sentry Insurance for allowing the use of their K-9 unit. “Without them, we likely would never have found the firearm,” said Lt. Johnson.

Before taking his job at Sentry, Wachowiak spent several years working as a Portage Co. deputy.