La Pine fugitive sought after police chase, crash into house
Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies said Tuesday they are looking for a 42-year-old La Pine man with a long criminal history on charges he refused to pull over for a deputy Sunday night, sped away, crashed his SUV into a house and ran away.
A deputy was patrolling the area of Day Road and Cascade Lane shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday and tried to stop the driver of a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee for failing to properly signal a turn, Sgt. William Bailey said.
The deputy also noted that as the driver passed in front of his patrol car, the driver, later identified as Jason Daryl Walter, was laying low in the seat, apparently trying to avoid being seen, Bailey said.
The deputy flipped on his emergency lights to make the stop, but Walter failed to pull over and soon speed away, the sergeant said.
The deputy pursued the Jeep heading north on Day Road, then east onto Sunset Lane, where the driver entered a residential driveway at the east end of the road, Bailey said.
As the SUV came to a stop, it struck the house on the property, causing minor damage, and Walter got out and ran to the north.
Bailey said deputies were able to track the driver for a short distance but could not find him.
Based on evidence collected in the SUV, the driver was identified as Walter, who is wanted on felony and misdemeanor attempting to elude charges, as well as first-degree criminal mischief.
Walter is believed to be living at an unknown location in the La Pine area, Bailey said. Anyone with information on his whereabouts was asked to call non-emergency dispatch at 541-693-6911 in reference to case No. 18-71560.
Court records show a lengthy criminal history for Walter dating back to 1993, with the most recent an arrest last fall on two counts of unauthorized use of a vehicle. He pleaded not guilty in January and a two-day jury trial is scheduled for September.
Walter also was arrested in November 2016 on charges of methamphetamine possession, tampering with evidence and frequenting a place where drugs are used. The records showed he pleaded guilty last November to the frequenting charge and was given a 90-day jail sentence.
He’s been arrested on numerous Central Oregon felony charges, dating back to a first-degree burglary charge in 1993 and including theft, car theft and assault.
In January 2013, he was a fugitive living in Bend when he fled police and a K-9 tracking team found him hiding in rocks along the Deschutes River Trail. It was the third time in less than two years that a police dog had tracked him down while on the run, authorities said.
