Auston Robertson Arrested After Evading Police For 2 Days
Former Michigan State defensive end Auston Robertson was taken in to police custody on Sunday, two days after being charged for sexual assault.
Meridian Township police announced Sunday afternoon that Robertson, 19, had been arrested. On Friday he was charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct and subsequently dismissed from MSU's football program.
Unable to locate Robertson in wake of the charges, police asked the public for help in finding the former Spartan lineman. MLive reports that police thought Robertson could be a flight risk:
During a hearing to authorize the warrant, police testified they considered Robertson a flight risk because he left the state and returned home to his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana, for four days after the alleged assault took place on April 9.
On the evening of April 8, Robertson allegedly penetrated a female acquaintance against her will after walking her home from a social gathering.
It’s the second time Robertson has been accused of misconduct against a woman. His signing with MSU in 2016 was delayed after he was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from his alleged improper touching of a female classmate at Wayne High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Robertson ended up signing with the Spartans about three weeks after his arrest in 2016. He completed a diversionary program as part of that case just last month, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Robertson played in seven games as a true freshman for MSU in 2016. The 6-foot-4, 281-pound defensive end recorded three total tackles and forced one fumble.
Third-degree criminal sexual conduct is a felony in Michigan punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment.
Robertson’s case is not related to the January incident that led to the suspension of three other MSU football players and one staffer.