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On Saturday, Jan. 5 at approximately 5:50 p.m. a deputy on patrol in McKinleyville saw a silver Jeep Wrangler with a black soft top parked in the parking lot near Ray’s Food Place and Rite Aide. The deputy recalled from a briefing regarding a Jeep matching that description was reported stolen from the Crescent City area and was also involved in vehicle burglaries.

As the deputy exited his patrol car to check out the Jeep it sped away at a high rate of speed. The deputy got back into his patrol car and attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver failed to stop and the deputy initiated a pursuit.

About the same time Humboldt County Sheriff’s dispatch advised the deputy the vehicle was confirmed stolen. The driver drove westbound on School Road in McKinleyville around a vehicle into the opposite lane and through a stop sign. He turned onto Bird Avenue, which dead ended.

At the end of the road, the driver fled the Jeep on foot. The deputy chased after the suspect on foot over several fences and through berry briars. The deputy was joined by another deputy and caught the suspect hiding underneath a pickup truck.

Jeremiah James Haynes, 34 years old, from Crescent City, was taken into custody for vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, felony evading a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of burglary tools, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also had a felony warrant for drug sales. He was transported and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where his bail was set at $125,000.

Anyone with information for the sheriffs office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office at 707-445-7251 or the sheriff’s office crime tip line at 707-268-2539.