Chase ends with arrest, another suspect sought

A Sandpoint man has been charged with fleeing from police in a stolen pickup, while another suspect remains at large.

Dustin Armine Hayes, 21, of 569 Rapid Lightning Road was among two occupants spotted by a Bonners Ferry patrolman in the stolen 1996 Toyota at 3 a.m. Friday, said Police Chief Dave Kramer.

Officer Joe Scholten notified authorities in Boundary and Bonner counties and followed the suspects.

“When he attempted to stop (them) in the McArthur Lake area, they took off and went up McArthur Lake Road,” Kramer said. “They tried to evade him and turned around, almost hitting him head-on.”

As the pursuit continued, the driver of the stolen pickup knocked over a sign and went over an embankment. The truck got stuck in the snow, and the occupants fled on foot, he said.

Hayes was found later that morning at a nearby Highland Flats Road home, Kramer said.

Police found 13 stolen used car batteries in the pickup. They apparently were taken from CarQuest at 6838 Main St. in Bonners Ferry and dump sites or the county landfill, Kramer said.

Hayes was charged with theft by receiving stolen property and fleeing from police. Both are felonies. He posted $20,000 bond and was released from Boundary County Jail.

Hayes, who works for Bonner County School District, faces a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. May 2 at the courthouse in Bonners Ferry.