(NORTH PLATTE, NEB.) — Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol arrested five people following a pursuit with a stolen vehicle Tuesday in Keith County.
At approximately 12:10 p.m. MT, a trooper observed a westbound Nissan Versa speeding on Interstate 80. The trooper also received information that the vehicle had been reported stolen in Iowa. The vehicle exited I-80 at the Paxton interchange and the trooper attempted a traffic stop. The driver exited the vehicle and appeared to be complying with the trooper, until one of the passengers exited the vehicle and entered the driver’s seat. The original driver then entered a passenger seat and the vehicle fled. The trooper initiated a pursuit.
The vehicle fled westbound on I-80. Additional units were able to successfully deploy stop sticks to bring the vehicle to a stop near mile marker 140, just west of Paxton. All five subjects inside the vehicle were then taken into custody without further incident.
The original driver, an 18-year-old male, was arrested for obstructing a peace officer and no operator’s license. The second driver, Yovani Alfonso Rivas, 32, was arrested for willful reckless driving, flight to avoid arrest, and no operator’s license. The three other subjects were identified as Carlos Alberto, 26, Jordan Medina, 26, and an 18-year-old male. All five occupants are from Venezuela. All five were arrested for possession of stolen property $5,000+ and lodged in Keith County Jail.
The Keith County Sheriff’s Office assisted in this incident.