Man Accused Of Burglary Rescued After He And Police Dog Fell Through Ice On Mystic River

ARLINGTON, MA — His mugshot depicts him as, well, frankly bored by the whole ordeal as he lowers his face mask to yawn. But earlier Saturday, Joseph Kahler, 30, created a bit of excitement in Arlington when police were forced to pursue him onto the frozen Mystic River where both Kahler and a police dog fell through the ice into the freezing water.

According to Arlington Police Chief Julie Flaherty, around 1:15 p.m. Saturday, Arlington police were called to a home on Mystic Lake Drive for a report of a burglary in progress.

The homeowners arrived home with their children to find their kitchen window open. They then spotted a man walking through their yard to a U-Haul truck parked on the street.

As officers raced to the home, the dispatcher notified them that the U-Haul had taken off and was driving down Newton Street. Officers quickly spotted the truck and began following at a distance.

The U-Haul stopped on Coral Street, and Kahler, whose last known address was in Weymouth, and a woman passenger got out of the truck and ran away.

Police quickly caught up with the woman, who was taken into custody, but continued to search for Kahler.

Witnesses said they saw him walking on the bank of the Mystic River near River Street. When police arrived there, however, another group of witnesses said he had gone under the bridge and onto the ice covering the river.

The officers, with the help of Arlington police K-9 Eiko, went under the bridge and found fresh footprints on the ice. They then spotted Kahler on the other side of the bridge after crossing the width of the bridge on the frozen river.

They said Kahler scurried up the embankment and began running down River Street but then circled back onto the river, refusing to comply with commands from police to stop.

Police then released K-9 Eiko to pursue him, and both Eiko and Kahler fell through the ice into the freezing water.

K-9 Eiko managed to escape from the hole in the ice, and police called the dog back to the river bank.

Kahler was able to stand up in the water but refused the officers' orders to grab the safety line they'd thrown out to him.

One officer was eventually able to reach Kahler and pull him out of the water.

Paramedics from the Arlington and Medford fire departments arrived and treated Kahler for exposure to the cold.

Police subsequently learned that the U-Haul truck was stolen. They found a bag on the homeowners' property containing a number of items taken from the house. They said they also found heroin in the truck.

“I would like to commend the officers for their diligent, exhaustive work that resulted in the arrest of the suspect after he went into the water and refused attempts by officers to rescue him," Flaherty said. "Thankfully, our officers, drawing on their training, experience and professionalism, brought a safe conclusion to this incident. I would also like to thank the bystanders who reported seeing the suspect at various points and ultimately assisted officers in locating him.”

The woman passenger was taken to an area hospital for an evaluation. Police learned that she has two active warrants for her arrest out of Worcester District Court and a Boston court. She is not being charged in connection to the burglary, so her name isn't being released.

Kahler was treated at the hospital and then taken to the Arlington Police Department for booking. He's charged with felony breaking and entering, resisting arrest, failure to stop for police and possession of heroin.

Kahler was also had four active warrants for his arrest out of Boston District Court, Quincy District Court and Weymouth District Court.

He is expected to be arraigned Tuesday in Cambridge District Court.