John Jacob……Lightle, and his female passenger, unsuccessfully flee
Photo: John Jacob Lightle and Jennifer Lynette Peters
SEATLLE CREEK – On October 17th close to 1:00 p.m. a deputy with the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a driver who was speeding on State Route 96.
The driver did not stop even though the detective had has lights and siren engaged, and in fact sped up and drove recklessly through a construction zone in spite of a construction worker holding a stop sign.
The driver continued on his reckless way, running a red light and going up to 80 m.p.h. for up to 60 miles. CHP deployed a spike strip 96, which deflated one of the vehicle’s tires.
The vehicle stopped and the male driver with his female passenger got out and decided to try their luck at running away on foot, towards the Klamath River.
Other deputies assisted in the pursuit, as well as the CHP’s H-14 helicopter. 29-year-old John Jacob Lightle was apprehended as he hid in some bushes. 33-year-old Jennifer Lynette Peters took her chance in the Klamath river, jumping in and “floating down the river.”
K-9 Aron and his partner apprehended Peters down river.
The SCSO relates, “Mr. Lightle was arrested and booked for a felony arrest warrant and for resisting, obstructing, and delaying a peace officer while on-duty. Ms. Peters was booked for a felony charge of evading arrest in a vehicle, resisting, obstructing, and delaying a peace officer while on-duty, and she had one outstanding felony arrest warrant and two misdemeanor arrest warrants. Large amounts of narcotic paraphernalia, marijuana, stolen property, and burglary tools were located in the suspect vehicle, which will result in additional charges being filed against the suspects.”
According to Sheriff Jon Lopey, “This pursuit traversed approximately 60-miles of a two-lane highway and the driving actions of the suspects and the their effort to flee in the vehicle and later, on foot, jeopardized the safety of innocent motorists traveling on SR 96, they risked their own lives, and their actions endangered numerous peace officers. This was a good team effort by SCSO and CHP officers and leaders, which led to the successful resolution of this dangerous incident and series of troubling actions perpetrated by the suspects without anyone getting hurt, which is extraordinary given the totality of the circumstances.”
