Medical Lake Pursuit Ends With Arrest - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

UPDATE: Medical Lake Pursuit Ends With Arrest

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Spokane County Sheriff's Department Press Release: 

On Tuesday, October 30, 2012, at about 10:45 a.m., Spokane County Sheriff's Deputy J. Thurman made a traffic stop on I-90 near Four Lakes.  When Deputy Thurman asked for the driver's information, identified as 42-year-old Isidro Mendez-Ortega, Ortega provided an Oregon State ID card and what appeared to be a fraudulent Social Security card.  Deputy Thurman saw a rifle on the front passenger side floorboard.  When he asked Ortega about it Ortega told him he was hunting.  Due to the fact Deputy Thurman could not verify Ortega's identity, he placed the rifle in his patrol vehicle for safekeeping.
 
Deputy Thurman requested assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol.  While waiting, Ortega ran from his vehicle towards Silver Lake.  Multiple units from multiple agencies responded to the scene and quickly set up a perimeter.  Sheriff's K9 Jet and his handler located Ortega hiding in a building behind a residence on Silver Lake Road.  He was taken into custody without incident.
 
U.S. Border Patrol Agents are familiar with Ortega.  He has been deported from the U.S. one time prior and obtained a Social Security card using fictitious information.
 
  • Ortega was booked into the Spokane County Jail for one count of Alien Possessing a Firearm, one count of 2nd Degree Burglary and one count of resisting arrest and obstructing.
 Previous Coverage:

 

UPDATE: The suspect has been identified as 42-year-old Ortega Mendez. He's facing multiple charges including possession of a firearm.

PREVIOUS STORY:

MEDICAL LAKE, Wash. - Around the noon hour on Tuesday a man was pulled over by a Spokane County Sheriff's Deputy and it didn't take long before the deputy determined that the individual entered the country illegally.

Inside the vehicle the deputy noticed several forged documents and a high powered rifle. The deputy returned to his vehicle to contact border patrol and at that point the man he had pulled over exited his car and took off running.

Spokane County Sheriff's spokesman Craig Chamberlin said at this point they still do not know who he is, but the man ran a mile before being arrested inside the shed of a Medical Lake house.

The Spokane County Sheriff's office, Washington State Patrol, as well as several K-9 units assisted in this arrest.