State Patrol arrests California man, recovering stolen vehicle
Jeep was found to have been stolen in Ohio
By News Channel NebraskaLINCOLN - Nebraska State Patrol officers have arrested a California man following a pursuit of a stolen vehicle in central Nebraska.
Around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, a trooper saw a Jeep speeding at over 100 miles per hour on Interstate 80 near Grand Island. The trooper tried to stop the driver but the vehicle accelerated. The trooper initiated a chase. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office deployed stop sticks to slow the vehicle and the Jeep eventually came to a halt in the median. The driver then fled on foot.
Troopers and Buffalo County deputies searched the area and with the help of a thermal drone, troopers were able to locate the driver in a ditch along Interstate 80.
The vehicle was determined to have been stolen out of Ohio.
33-year-old Thomas Hernandez, of Fullerton, California, was arrested for flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and theft by unlawful taking. He was jailed in Hall County.