Man held after kidnap attempt, car chase

A man who led on a two-hour high-speed chase through Mineral, Churchill and Lyon counties was arrested Monday in Fernley.

The man, whose name was not released, led authorities on a high-speed vehicle chase for about 90 minutes, followed by a half-hour foot pursuit. He was arrested in a shed near a residence on Silver Way and taken to an undisclosed location for medical treatment, said Churchill County Sheriff Ben Trotter.

The chase started when Walker River Paiute Tribal Police contacted the man after an attempted kidnapping, according to Trotter and a tribal spokesman. Trotter said authorities reached the victim, who was not harmed.

From there, the man, along with two passengers, fled police and raced into Churchill County at speeds reaching 90 mph.

The tribal spokesman said the attempted abduction was still under investigation.

Trotter said Lyon County and Walker River will likely file charges against the man, while Churchill County may charge him with misdemeanor reckless driving.

Churchill County sheriff's deputies spotted the suspect about noon, driving north toward Fallon in a Nissan XTerra. Once he entered town, Fallon police joined in pursuit on South Taylor Street before the suspect entered the Safeway parking lot on West Williams Avenue. He then roared east on A Street, turned north on Maine Street and headed to Interstate 80 on Lovelock Highway with speeds reaching more than 100 mph.

Nevada Highway Patrol officers set up spike strips at the cattle guard before the entrance ramp to I-80. However, the man avoided the strips and drove westbound on I-80 in the eastbound lanes toward Fernley. Reno police were called to help Lyon County deputies intercept the man in Fernley.

The suspect avoided another set of spike strips near Fernley before taking Exit 48 and driving through numerous neighborhoods at speeds of 65 mph. The man then jumped out of the vehicle on Scott Drive near Farm District Road and ran off.

During the chase, the man contacted the Churchill County Sheriff's Office and said that he did not have a weapon but that he would kill himself before surrendering. The female passenger stated that she had told him to pull over and that she did not want to die.

Authorities were still investigating late Monday afternoon.