OGALLALA, Neb. — A high-speed chase that began in Ogallala and spanned multiple counties has led to a federal prison sentence for a 20-year-old man from El Salvador. Michael Alexander Ayala-Ramirez was sentenced Wednesday to 70 months in prison for illegally possessing firearms, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Molsen.
The case unfolded last July 6, when an Ogallala police officer spotted a stolen pickup truck tied to a vehicle theft at Denver International Airport. When the officer attempted to make contact, Ayala-Ramirez — the driver — fled, sparking a high-speed chase that tore through Keith and Deuel Counties.
The chase ended near a rural farmyard in Deuel County after law enforcement successfully used stop sticks. Ayala-Ramirez and a passenger, Pablo Escobar-Alas, briefly hid under a vehicle before stealing another pickup and leading officers on a second chase. Authorities eventually stopped that vehicle as well and arrested both men.
Inside the bags they carried were four firearms, including one that had been reported stolen. A third suspect, Selvin Escobar-Rivera, fled on foot and was later arrested with another stolen handgun.
All three men had previously been deported and were in the U.S. illegally. The cases against Escobar-Alas and Escobar-Rivera are still pending.