Citizen tip leads to arrest of La Pine chase suspect

(Update: Tip leads to Lester's location, charges)

La PINE, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A tip from an alert citizen Thursday evening led Deschutes County sheriff's deputies to a La Pine man who now faces charges in a weekend pursuit that ended in a crash and unsuccessful manhunt.

Brackery Lester, 26, had been spotted at the Corner Store, near Day and Burgess roads, Sgt. William Bailey said. He was gone by the time deputies arrived, but he was found at a nearby home.

Lester was detained without incident arrested by criminal citation on felony and misdemeanor charges of attempting to elude police, as well as reckless driving, Bailey said.

Deputies on Wednesday had identified and released a security photo of Lester, asking the public to help find him.

Shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday, a deputy tried to stop a brown 1992 Ford Ranger with no license plates in the area of Highway 97 and Rosland Road, Sergeant Troy Gotchy said.

The northbound driver turned on Wendy Drive and traveled behind Les Schwab Tires, Gotchy said.

The driver later identified as Lester then tried to turn onto Drafter Road but lost control and spun around, facing the pursuit deputy head-on, then backed up and proceeded north on Drafter Road, the sergeant said.

The deputy was forced to back off, due to the dusty road and low visibility. The Ranger was found crashed into a tree just east of the highway, and the driver, who appeared to be unhurt, ran to the northeast, Gotchy said.

Responding deputies and Oregon State Police troopers established a search perimeter, Gotchy said.

K-9 Ares and his partner, Deputy Michael Mangin, responded and started a track that followed the suspect to Highway 97 and west across the highway, but eventually lost the track.

Deputies on Wednesday released a store security photo they said showed Lester minutes before he got into the pickup and fled from the deputy.