April 16, 2020 4:00 a.m.
A prolific car thief was jailed after trying to elude police on Wednesday.
Sergeant Brad O’Dell of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office just before 2:00 a.m. 40-year old Thomas Grimes of Eugene was spotted by a deputy driving a pickup on Goodrich Highway near John Long Road in Rice Hill. O’Dell said the vehicle had previously been reported as stolen to the Roseburg Police Department.
The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle but Grimes took off. He eventually crashed the pickup in the 7,000 block of Eagle Valley Road, and ran from the scene.
O’Dell said deputies identified a residence where Grimes had hidden and surrounded it. Shortly before 9:00 a.m. the man surrendered and was taken into custody.
He was jailed on charges including: unlawful use of a vehicle, attempting to elude police, first degree criminal mischief, and reckless driving. Bail was set at $156,250.
O’Dell said deputies have linked Grimes to eight additional stolen vehicles and three elude cases between Douglas and Lane counties in the past week. Additional charges related to those cases are pending.