ASHLAND, Ore. – A man who was arrested in Northern California after allegedly committing a crime spree that started in Ashland is being extradited back to Oregon to face a judge.
Investigators said at about 10:00 p.m. Tuesday, 34-year-old Thomas Lee Ackley of Hornbrook, California was at the Ashland Safeway when he approached a man and tried to stab him without warning.
After the unsuccessful attempt, Ackley fled the scene in a vehicle as officers responded to the area.
According to the Ashland Police Department, Ackley was found by officers a short time later, but he drove to I-5 Exit 11 and tried to travel northbound in the southbound lanes.
An APD officer recognized the extreme danger this posed and decided to ram Ackley’s vehicle with his patrol car, stopping it from traveling northbound. However, the vehicle got off the freeway and continued on a nearby country road where Ackley was able to lose the officers.
According to APD, while the police were trying to track down Ackley, he entered a nearby property and stole a pickup truck, trying to run over the owner of the truck in the process.
Ackley made it to Siskiyou County, California, before being arrested there Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, a Jackson County grand jury heard testimony from five witnesses for a total of 40 minutes. The grand jury deliberated for less than 15 minutes before announcing an indictment was issued.
A nationwide warrant was issued in order to bring Ackley back across state lines to face charges in Jackson County.
He’s accused of the following crimes, according to prosecutors:
- Robbery 1st degree x 2
- Attempted Assault 1st degree x 2
- Unlawful Use of a Weapon
- Menacing x 2
- Attempt to Elude in a Vehicle x 2
- Attempt to Elude on foot
- Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle
- Reckless Endangering x 3
- Criminal Mischief 1st degree x 2
- Criminal Mischief 2nd degree
- Reckless Driving
- Theft 1st degree
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