SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif. – Two brothers who allegedly stole a vehicle from a Grants Pass towing company were caught after a chase over state lines.
The California Highway Patrol said at about 2:15 Wednesday afternoon, they received a call from Oregon State Police about a pursuit on Interstate 5 in Josephine County.
OSP said they were chasing a vehicle with two people inside, 28-year-old Theodore Charles Casement III from La Habra, California and his 20-year-old brother from Seattle, Shea Casement.
Before the pursuit started, the brothers were reportedly involved in a crash and were getting a ride to a shelter from Caveman Towing. However, they ended up stealing the courtesy vehicle, described as a gold 1998 Ford Taurus.
OSP troopers gave chase, but they lost sight of the car in Josephine County.
Eventually, CHP got a call from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office reporting Talent police officers were pursuing the brothers southbound on I-5.
CHP said their officers were ready and waiting at the border. At about 2:47 p.m., they took over the pursuit.
With the vehicle’s two passenger-side tires gone, it was riding on the rims at speeds that didn’t reach over 80 miles-per-hour.
Just before reaching the Klamath River Bridge, the driver of the stolen car tried to pass another vehicle on the right when he lost control, sending the Ford Taurus off the road and down an embankment. The car traveled 30 feet before hitting a metal culvert.
The Casements were taken into custody without further incident. They both received minor injuries. A dog that was in the car was uninjured.
The elder Casement was taken to the Siskiyou County Jail after a medical check. He’s now charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, evading police while disregarding safety, and three charges of failure to appear.
As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Shea Casement did not appear to be an inmate at the jail. CHP didn’t mention his arrest status.
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