Police pursuit of Idaho man with 14 arrest warrants captured after breaking into Jeremy Ranch home

A Summit County Sheriff's Office vehicle. Photo: TownLift

PARK CITY — Summit County Sheriff’s Deputies have arrested 23-year-old and convicted-felon Anthony Ortega, of Preston, Idaho, following a pursuit through Kimball Junction and Jeremy Ranch.

On March 18 at 2:25am, Summit County Sheriff’s Office received a call from a resident in the Summit Park area who stated someone had just stolen a package from his front porch and provided a description of the male after seeing him on their porch camera. A deputy in the area was then dispatched and located the suspect vehicle driving on Kilby Road.

The deputy initiated a traffic stop on the 2013 Lexus sedan, which was listed stolen by the Murray Police Department, but Ortega refused to pull over. The deputy then pursued Ortega onto I-80 eastbound where he exited at Kimball Junction, made a U-turn, and got back onto I-80 westbound, but not before deputies had successfully deployed tire spikes on the suspect vehicle.

Ortega then proceeded to exit at Jeremy Ranch, parked the vehicle on Homestead Road and ran off on foot. Deputies tracked Ortega, using a Summit County Sheriff K9, into the residential area of Jeremy Ranch where he entered a residence on Homestead Road through an unlocked door of the home. A family was asleep inside the residence when Ortega entered. Deputies were minutes behind Ortega and quickly searched the residence, at the request of the homeowner. Ortega was found hiding in a utility closet and was taken into custody.

Ortega was booked into the Summit County Jail on numerous felony charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, evading, aggravated burglary, possession of a dangerous weapon (knife) by a restricted person and 14 arrest warrants.