LINCOLN COUNTY, Neb. — A 32-year-old Colorado man was arrested Saturday after he stole a car and ran over the owner, according to Nebraska State Patrol.
Around 1 p.m. Saturday, state patrol said Lincoln County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a vehicle fire on Interstate 80 near Hershey. The witness reported the driver of the vehicle was running from the scene towards the Interstate Lakes area.
The man, later identified as Abraham Pacheco of Thornton, Colorado, was seen breaking into and stealing a pickup with a camper attached, running over the owner of the truck as he drove away, according to state patrol. The victim suffered injuries that were serious but not believed to be life-threatening.
Deputies pursued Pacheco east on I-80, and state troopers took over the pursuit as he passed the North Platte interchanges.
Pacheco then drove across the median and began going the wrong way on westbound lanes of I-80 at a high rate of speed for several miles, nearly hitting a trooper going west, before getting off at the Brady exchange, state patrol said.
Around 1:25 p.m., Pacheco parked in that area and ran into a wooded area. Authorities established a perimeter and the state patrol's SWAT team was activated.
Additional departments responded to assist, and drones were also deployed to search the area.
Once troopers discovered Pacheco's approximate location, the SWAT team searched the area with a light-armored vehicle, and a K9 was able to track him into a muddy area on the bank of a pond, state patrol said.
The K9 was used to take Pacheco into custody around 7:25 p.m.
Pacheco was taken to the hospital for medical clearance and was booked into the Lincoln County Jail on suspicion of the following charges, according to jail records:
- First-degree assault
- Second-degree assault
- Willful reckless driving
- Operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest
- Unauthorized use of vehicle - includes joy riding
- Leaving scene of accident
- Theft by unlawful taking
- Criminal mischief
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