BEAVER COUNTY, Utah – Sheriff deputies arrested two people Thursday morning after a high-speed chase that spanned two different counties, and each of the suspects was driving a stolen vehicle.
The two males are an unidentified juvenile and 18-year-old Jose Thomas Erives of Rigby, Idaho. It started in Beaver when the two males decided to steal a Cadillac Escalade from a business parking lot.
Sheriff’s Lieutenant Cody Black said the business owner went into the building for a few minutes.
“There was a green colored Ford pickup truck that had parked right next to his vehicle,” Black said. “The passenger had gotten out, and when he did, jumped in his Escalade, which I believe the keys were in the ignition.”
The business owner quickly called police to report the theft. Black said an employee at another business in town was listening to scanner traffic and spotted the two cars getting on the freeway.
“Within three miles our guy was there,” Black said. “And so that was because of these guys in town calling us and letting us know what was going on.”
Beaver County Sheriff deputies, Utah Highway Patrol troopers and Iron County deputies chased the Escalade south on I-15 for about 30 miles at speeds of around 110 mph before a trooper successfully spiked the tires. The car came to a stop by mile marker 74, and deputies arrested the juvenile.
While officers continued to look for the Ford truck Erives was driving, it passed where officers stopped the Escalade and deputies followed Erives for another few miles before he gave himself up to police.
““It was actually a safe chase,” said UHP Sgt. Ryan Bauer. "Even though there was quite a bit of traffic, it wasn’t heavy enough that we felt like it was too dangerous to continue on.”
Police discovered the Ford truck driven by Erives was reported stolen out of Idaho, and they said a runaway juvenile was attached to the report. Black couldn’t comment on whether the juvenile they arrested is the same one. Officers also found marijuana in the truck.
Erives was booked into the Beaver County Jail and faces possible charges of vehicle theft, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
