Two-county pursuit leads to Madras man’s arrest

An attempt to pull over a speeder near Metolius led to an off-and-on, two-county chase Friday afternoon that eventually resulted in a Crook County manhunt and the arrest of a 22-year-old Madras man, authorities said.

A Jefferson County sheriff deputy tried to stop a red Ford F-150 pickup for speeding near Metolius, going 72 mph in a 55 mph zone, Sheriff Jim Adkins said.

The suspect, later identified as Jose Juan Gonzalez Parra, fled east on Dover Lane “at high rates of speed,” Adkins said, so the pursuit was terminated. The sheriff said he called the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue pilot out to search for the pickup.

A citizen reported spotting the pickup headed toward Prineville near milepost 13 on Highway 26, Adkins said, and Oregon State Police later saw him speeding on the highway and did not pursue.

Crook County sheriff’s deputies ere dispatched just before 4:30 p.m. to the report of the pursued pickup from Jefferson County and was informed the pursuit had been terminated, Sgt. Bill Elliott said.

Crook County deputies found the abandoned pickup on Northwest Gerke Road near Ryegrass Road, which Elliott described as a remote farming area of Crook County, about eight miles northwest of Prineville.

Soon, OSP, Crook and Jefferson County deputies and Prineville police began searching for the driver who had fled on foot.

Gonzalez Parra was found south of the pickup, on the side of the hill. Elliott said he was attempting to hide amid trees, but the Jefferson County SAR plane helped lead officers to his location.

Gonzalez Parra was taken to the Jefferson County Jail Friday night and booked on charges of attempting to elude police, reckless driving and reckless endangering, as well as violation of the basic rule. His initial bail was $35,000.

“The capture of (Gonzalez Parra) was successful because of the outstanding teamwork from all agencies involved,” Elliott said in a news release.

And Adkins agreed, telling NewsChannel 21: “The airplane made a big difference keeping the suspect pinned down after he fled on foot, (so) searchers could close in and make the arrest.”