KGW Staff
CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. (KGW) — A 25-year-old man went on a crime spree in Clackamas County that ended when he was taken into custody dressed as Ricky Bobby, the main character in the Will Ferrell movie “Talladega Nights,” deputies said.
The series of events started to unfold around 6 p.m. Tuesday, when someone called 911 to report a black GMC pickup was driving erratically and running stop signs on Barnards Road northwest of Molalla, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said in a release.
The pickup driver, later identified as Alexis Ibarra Gomez, is accused of pulling over and using a pistol to fire multiple gunshots at the 911 caller, who had been following him to get his license plate number, deputies said.
The 911 caller said he ducked down to avoid getting hit, then returned fire with a rifle. No injuries were reported.
Deputies said Gomez then drove off in the GMC pickup with a female passenger. The truck had previously been reported stolen out of Salem.
A short time later, deputies witnessed Gomez driving northbound on Highway 213 toward Oregon City. At one point, he was reportedly driving in the wrong lane.
Oregon City police officers attempted to pull over the stolen pickup on Highway 213 northbound, but Gomez refused to stop. The pursuit continued onto South Henrici Road, just outside Oregon City, and authorities tried to use spike strips to stop him, deputies said.
At 6:18 p.m., authorities found the stolen pickup crashed into a detached garage in the 16000 block of South Henrici Road.
A witness said Gomez had ditched the pickup, jumped a fence and ran into a wooded area. They found his female passenger walking away from the crash, and she was interviewed and released.
Following the crash, authorities called in backup from multiple agencies as well as Clackamas County SWAT and crisis negotiation teams.
Deputies said a homeowner in the Beaverlake area, who was not home at the time, called police after Gomez allegedly forced his way into their home and tripped the security alarm.
The homeowner, Paul Wille, told KGW he walked police through everything Gomez did while watching him through his home’s security system.
“That was the weirdest feeling, seeing all this happen in real time remotely — but also feeling incredibly glad that we weren’t present when all that was going on.”
Wille’s wife Jessica said she was especially glad their two young daughters weren’t home.
“I was thinking, the guy they’re looking for, this manhunt is breaking into our house right now. How is this happening?” said Jessica Wille.
The SWAT team surrounded the home and air support was used to survey the scene. Authorities said the suspect used a flashlight to move from room to room inside the home.
While inside the home, Gomez reportedly changed into a “Talladega Nights” Ricky Bobby racing suit costume he found inside the home. He also ransacked the place and filled a suitcase with clothes, jewelry and other items, CCSO reported.
The costume-clad suspect exited the home with the bicycle but after seeing he was surrounded, he quickly dropped to the ground and surrendered peacefully.
“Out of anything to choose from in the home, he found my Halloween outfit … the full jumpsuit with the hat,” said Wille. “He takes that and my bicycle with two flat tires and tries to escape. Apparently, that didn’t work too well.”
Gomez was taken into custody at about 9 p.m. and booked at the Clackamas County jail for attempted first-degree assault, attempting to elude police, first-degree burglary among other charges.
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