RAPID CITY, S.D. – A Rapid City man has been placed under arrest for First Degree Manslaughter following a physical altercation on Thursday evening.
Shortly after 8:00 p.m. on September 22nd, police were dispatched to the parking lot at 1415 Eglin Street for a report of an unresponsive female. On arrival, police located the female on the ground near a vehicle having CPR performed on her. A medical unit arrived to take over emergency life-saving measures. The female was placed on an ambulance for transport to the hospital. Police later learned she died while in transit.
After speaking to witnesses, police learned the female was in a vehicle with several other passengers. The group was drinking alcohol in the vehicle while driving for an app-based food delivery service. The group stopped to pick up food at a restaurant on Endeavour Boulevard when a male, identified as 28-year-old Nicklaus Houchin of Rapid City, got into a physical confrontation with the female victim and choked her. The female went unresponsive in the back of the vehicle while the group drove to 1415 Eglin Street before calling 911.
After speaking to detectives, Houchin was placed under arrest for First Degree Manslaughter and remains in the custody of the Pennington County Jail.
The deceased has been identified as 31-year-old Danielle Houchin of Rapid City.
The investigation into this homicide remains active and ongoing, and is being conducted jointly with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.