KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A Portage man who is considered a person of interest in his wife’s disappearance has been arrested on an unrelated charge.
Portage police confirmed to 24 Hour News 8 that Christopher Lockhart was arrested Monday on a traffic offense. Police would not comment further on the circumstances surrounding the arrest.
Authorities identified Lockhart as a person of interest in the disappearance of his wife, 44-year-old Theresa Lockhart, who has been missing for nearly two months.
Lockhart was arrested on July 6 for allegedly cutting his neighbor’s cable and air conditioning line. He was charged with malicious destruction of property and interfering with electronic communications.
It’s unclear whether Lockhart will be in court Tuesday, but he is scheduled for a preliminary examination conference Wednesday.
TWO MONTHS SINCE THERESA LOCKHART WAS LAST SEEN
Theresa Lockhart was last seen on May 18 and reported missing two days later by her employer, Schoolcraft Community Schools. Her car was found a short time later a few miles from her Portage home at a park-and-ride off of Angling Road.
Christopher Lockhart has been called a person of interest by police in his wife’s disappearance. Investigators spent nearly 30 hours searching the couple’s home three weeks after she went missing.
On June 3, Christopher Lockhart told 24 Hour News 8 over the phone that he was not involved in the disappearance of his wife.
He said she had struggled with mental health problems and he didn’t report her missing because he “assumed she was going to get herself some help.” He said she had gone off without telling him before.
Christopher Lockhart has three previous convictions for peeping through windows and one conviction for making obscene phone calls. He was also charged in a domestic violence case involving his wife in November 2016 and pleaded guilty to simple assault.
Anyone with information about where Theresa Lockhart may be is asked to call Portage police at 269.329.4567 or Silent Observer at 269.343.2100.