Here is the LINK to our live coverage of the incident as it took place.
Wednesday night at 9 p.m., Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) Patrol deputies responded to the area of North River Road in Gold Hill for a reported theft. The victim reported three men in a white Nissan Sentra had snatched her purse from her vehicle, then fled towards Gold Hill.
While deputies were investigating the theft, another call came in on Old Stage Road with a similar incident. A resident found three men going through her father’s vehicle as she arrived home. She confronted the men and all three fled towards Gold Hill in a car. A victim of that incident followed in his vehicle, called 911, and gave updates on the suspect car. The suspect vehicle was driving recklessly and the victim could not safely follow, so he pulled over at the Moose Lodge to speak to incoming JCSO units. While speaking with that victim, a third call came in of three men who appeared to be looking into vehicles on 5th Avenue in Gold Hill. The men fled and were followed by another resident.
JCSO deputies located the suspect car and attempted to stop it. The vehicle fled southbound on Blackwell Road from the Gold Hill bridge. Oregon State Police, Central Point Police Department, and Rogue River Police Department assisted with the pursuit. A JCSO Patrol car conducted a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver on the fleeing vehicle near the MJ Market and the three suspects were taken into custody. One of the suspects disclosed he swallowed fentanyl and law enforcement administered three doses of Narcan before he was transported to a local hospital via ambulance and cleared for confinement. While at the hospital the suspect resisted being placed in handcuffs and attempted to spit on the deputy, leading to a resisting arrest charge.
All three suspects were lodged in the Jackson County Jail. The driver, Weston Nicholy Walker, 19, of Woodland, Wash. was charged with Elude in a Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Theft 2, Unauthorized Entry of a Motor Vehicle (UEMV), and Trespass 2. Walter Surbrook, 18, of Medford was charged with Trespass 2, Theft 2, and UEMV. Israel James Lofdahl, 20, of Rogue River was charged with UEMV, Trespass 2, Theft 2, and Resisting Arrest. The vehicle, a white 2011 Nissan Sentra was seized pending a search warrant to recover stolen property.
The suspects broke into multiple vehicles in the Gold Hill area during their crime spree. If you believe your vehicle was broken into the night of Wednesday, July 27, call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333.
