After a high speed chase with speeds reaching up to 110 mph, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputies, along with some K-9 units were able to apprehend two suspects involved in a Deschutes River Woods burglary Tuesday afternoon.
Our news partner, News Channel 21 reports around 3 p.m., Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies responded to a home in DRW, south of Bend, where a woman reported confronting a man who illegally entered her house, said sheriff’s Sgt. Mark Eggert.
The woman was unhurt, and the man fled to a pickup truck parked nearby, leaving with a second man in the pickup as well, Eggert said.
The woman was able to provide deputies with a description of the man and the pickup, determined to be a white 1992 Dodge pickup with Oregon license plates and the business name “Schaffer Bros. Electric” on the sides of the doors. Eggert said an investigation revealed the business no longer owned the pickup. Only about 10 minutes after the burglary, a responding deputy spotted the pickup headed east and tried to pull it over. When the driver refused to do so, a pursuit began and the deputy reported watching as it passed in ongoing traffic.
Bend police, Oregon State Police and Forest Service officers responded and joined in the chase, during which the pursuit was terminated at one point due to heavy traffic, and later when they lost sight of the pickup, then spotted eastbound on Bear Creek Road.
The pickup turned onto Highway 20 and headed east, reportedly at 80 to 85 mph, now staying in its lane of travel. Scanner reports indicated the pickup reached 110 mph around milepost 11 (near Dodds Road) as arrangements were made to bring out police dogs, in case the pair pulled over and ditched the truck.
The driver turned north off Highway 20 near milepost 25, reportedly going through a barbed wire fence. The two men fled the pickup near the Millican OHV area and the Central Oregon Shooting Sports firing range.
A perimeter was established, and by about 4:30 p.m., both men were found and taken into custody, with the assistance of Bend police K-9 Zlatan and his handler, Eggert said.
They were identified as Robert Joseph Warren, 48, of Chiloquin, and Michael Edward Klemt, 59, of Davenport, Wash.
They were booked into the county jail in Bend on felony and misdemeanor charges of attempting to elude a police officer, as well as first-degree burglary, reckless driving and reckless endangering.
Sheriff’s deputies asked for the public’s help. If you have any information about the pickup or the suspects, you’re asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (541) 693-6911.
