Prineville police chase fugitive pair; 1 caught, other escapes

A police pursuit of a stolen car with a wanted man and woman in southeast Prineville Tuesday morning led to a “lock-in” of Crook County schools and the arrest of the wanted driver as she tried to run away, but the passenger eluded capture, police said.

Around 9:45 a.m., a Prineville officer tried to stop a green 1998 Honda Accord driven by Ashley Blair Greene-Hurt, 20, accompanied by passenger Jeremy Michael HartmanSteele, 23, said Sgt. Troy Wiles.

The pair were known to be subjects of interest in ongoing criminal cases and to have outstanding Crook County arrest warrants, Wiles said.

Greene-Hurt refused to stop and a pursuit began that lasted less than five miles, at speeds of nearly 75 mph, the sergeant said.

The driver stopped near milepost 1 on Southeast Juniper Canyon Road, and both occupants fled toward the woods, he said.

Greene-Hurt was apprehended and taken into custody. But a search for Hartman-Steele failed to find him, despite an assist from a Redmond police K-9 team.

An investigation determined the car was signed as stolen out of Warm Springs, and was impounded at the request of Warm Springs police, Wiles said.

Crook County School District officials said area schools were “locked in” for about a half-hour after being advised of the situation.

Online court records show Greene-Hurt was arrested in 2015 for methamphetamine possession and later for failure to appear in court. Another meth possession arrest occurred last year, and in January of this year, she was charged with attempting to elude police and reckless driving.

Hartman-Steele was charged with robbery and theft in Deschutes County in 2013 and last year was arrested three times in Jefferson, Deschutes and Crook counties on charges of fleeing or attempting to elude police, as well as reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person and careless driving contributing to an accident.

Hartman-Steele has four statewide felony arrest warrants, Wiles said. Anyone with information that could help in his apprehension was asked to call Prineville Police at 541-447-8619.