Grants Pass Police Nabbed Motorist for Leading Them on Vehicle & Foot Chases
Grants Pass Police arrested a motorist for leading them on two pursuits yesterday -- one in a vehicle and the other on foot.
The Police Department reports the first incident occurred at 10:17 a.m. Thursday when they tried to pull over a red sedan driven by 44-year-old Raul Oscar Ortiz near the corner of NE Fairview and Agness avenues.
Police said Ortiz was slumped over in a vehicle with an expired registration. They said he evaded them in a pursuit with lights and sirens activated. The pursuit was quickly terminated due to public safety concerns.
Later in the day, officers spotted the suspect vehicle near Joe's Bar & Grill in the Grants Pass Shopping Center. Ortiz ran out the back door of the bar and led law enforcement on a foot pursuit that ended in the parking lot of Home Depot. He admitted to fleeing because his license was suspended and a court-ordered ignition interlock device had not been installed on his car.
Ortiz was lodged at the Josephine County Jail for Felony Attempt to Elude Police. He was being held without bail.
Posted on 6/13/25 11:29AM by Sam Marsh
