Very early Sunday morning, May 3rd, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety Officers were alerted to a suspect caught on video just before 1:00am checking door handles of vehicles. Officers responded to the area and began looking for the suspect. A gold Toyota Highlander was found leaving the area and the driver was recognized as the suspect from the video.
Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, which fled at a high rate of speed into the parking lot of Elmer’s Restaurant. Officers moved to contain the vehicle which drove around to the north side of the Holiday Inn Express. The suspect then ran from the moving vehicle, sending it towards parked cars in the Holiday Inn parking lot. A Grants Pass Department of Public Safety Officer used his patrol car to block the moving vehicle, preventing damage to the citizen cars in the parking lot, but causing extensive damage to the passenger side of the patrol vehicle.
The Toyota Highlander was determined to be stolen out of Douglas County with stolen license plates on the vehicle. The suspect was last observed crossing the Grants Pass Parkway and officers established a perimeter and called a K-9 unit to the scene to assist. With the aid of a Unmanned Aircraft System and K-9 Maro, a search was conducted in the area of Foothill Blvd and Lawless Lane.
The suspect was located by K-9 Maro hiding in a marsh over an embankment. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and identified as 32 year old Jacob Leroy Ellis.
Ellis was found to be in possession of several hundred dollars in fake currency. He was lodged at the Josephine County Jail on charges of Unauthorized Entry into a Motor Vehicle (Attempted), Douglas County Warrant- Attempt to Commit Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Attempt to Elude Police- Felony, Attempt to Elude Police- Misdemeanor, Recklessly Endangering Another, Reckless Driving, Criminal Mischief 2, Driving While Suspended- Misdemeanor.
Anyone with information regarding the case or video of the suspect, is asked to contact the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety at (541)450-6260.
