ELMORE COUNTY, Idaho -- The Elmore County Sheriff's Office is looking for two people who led them on a chase over the weekend before stealing a truck. Deputies believe one of them is a dangerous and armed man who skipped parole from Washington state.
The sheriff's office is not releasing any names right now because they want to make sure the man and woman they're dealing with are the same people related to crimes in Oregon and Washington.
Police chase begins with fogged windows
Deputy Greg Genz says last week the man did not check in with his parole officer in Walla Walla, Washington. Then on Feb. 2, police believe they stole a 1997 Honda Civic from Milton-Freewater in northeastern Oregon.
Then two days later, early Saturday morning, Genz spotted the stolen car in Glenns Ferry. At the time Genz didn't know the car was stolen, but tried to pull it over for having fogged over windows.
"As I tried to pull him over, he did some weaving through a few streets and as I activated my lights, he took off and we started the chase out of Glenns Ferry," Genz said.
Genz followed the suspect about 15 miles down old Highway 30, at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. Genz says no other drivers were on the road at the time. The chase ended in a yard in King Hill.
"[The suspect] gets lost, ends up going up North Idaho Street, gets to the end, it dead ends to the residential area. He ends up going through a fence, behind a house, and crashing on a retaining wall," Genz said.
Neighbor: 'It's still scary'
Grace Heath watched the police chase come toward her house and eventually come right into her yard.
"I watched them, the police car chase him up the road and when he got in front of the window, I saw the back of the car fishtail a bit and the next thing I know, he's in the driveway and the cops right after him. You didn't even hear him come through the fence," Grace Heath said.
Heath says it's amazing how the suspect's car barely missed two of her family's vehicles in the driveway and just stayed away from the house, clearing the corner of the room her husband was sleeping in.
"It could have been so much worse. I'm just relieved ... I mean nobody got hurt. The fence can be fixed, the step can be fixed. I don't care about that. Nobody got hurt in the process," Heath said. "It's still scary thinking that what could have happened. Especially now I know he's a felon, had guns. I mean, Christ, he could have come in my back window."
Suspect steals another neighbor's car
Genz says after they crashed in Heath's yard, the man and woman then ran into a field. Since Genz was alone without a good radio connection and poor cell service, the deputy didn't follow. The pair ran two blocks down and stole an unlocked pickup truck with the keys inside. The owner watched as it happened.
"He heard the sirens, trying to figure out what's going on, he's looking out the window and he sees his truck pulling away," Genz said.
Police say their suspect should be considered very dangerous, and he is known to carry weapons and keep them with him. The sheriff's office is not releasing any suspect names or descriptions, but Genz says that information will likely come in the next few days. Meantime, they want people to stay away from these two and report the truck if it's spotted, with our without the pair.
Officers have no idea where suspects are
'We expect him to be very dangerous. And information we got, he will basically run and do whatever he has to do to get away from law enforcement," Genz said. "Judging by this gentleman's history, I don't believe he's still in the truck. We believe he's probably gotten rid of that one and taken another one."
The truck is a white 1989 Ford Ranger with a blue stripe, Idaho license plate E103998. Call local police or the Elmore County Sheriff's Office with information. Investigators believe they were heading towards Colorado, but may have turned back to Oregon.
If caught, Genz says the suspect could face charges of grand theft, possession of stolen property, resisting and obstructing officers, reckless driving, and felony eluding. Final charges would be determined by the prosecutor, and those only include the possible charges in Elmore County.
Editor's Note: Nampa Police have since found the stolen truck at gas station off Garrity Boulevard. It is being processed for evidence. The suspects are still at large.
