December 14, 2021 10:50 a.m. 

Deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office captured a Washington man in a river after two police chases on Monday, as the suspect tried to evade capture for well over 50 miles.

A DCSO report said at about 1:30 p.m. a deputy spotted a stolen pickup on Tunnel Road heading towards Glendale Valley. A traffic stop was initiated at the intersection of Glendale Valley and Junction and the vehicle took off, and headed north on Interstate 5. It was pursued until 4 miles south of Canyonville where an attempt to stop the vehicle with spike strips failed. The pursuit was terminated 3 miles later.

The report said not long after that reports came in that the pickup was headed the wrong direction on the freeway. Later another unit found the vehicle headed north on the freeway a few miles south of Roberts Mountain. Once north of Roseburg, units initiated another traffic stop which again turned into a pursuit. Several attempts at spikes were attempted until one from Sutherlin Police was successful.

The pickup wrecked just prior to Wilcox Road on Highway 138W. The driver, 33-year old Lauro Alejandro Munguia-Romiro, was detained after he tried to elude by floating down the river. He was eventually removed from the water. He was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle, eluding in a vehicle and on foot, and for reckless driving. Bail was set at $162,500.

The passenger, a 36-year old woman, also from Washington, was cited for possession of a stolen vehicle and then released.