GRANTS PASS, Ore. (Mar. 23, 2026) — Three people were taken into custody Friday following a series of incidents involving eluding law enforcement and outstanding felony warrants, authorities said.
According to the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrested James Patterson, 39, and Breanna Vineyard, 29, at approximately 11:38 a.m. on March 20 after locating them at a residence and establishing a perimeter with assistance from parole and probation officers and a sheriff’s K-9 unit.
The arrests followed an initial encounter on March 12, when deputies attempted a traffic stop near the O’Brien area. The vehicle failed to stop, and authorities identified Patterson as the driver and Vineyard as the passenger. Both had active felony warrants at the time.
During the pursuit, the vehicle turned onto a Forest Service road, where Vineyard exited and fled into nearby woods. Patterson continued driving into a rural wooded area before also fleeing on foot. The Oregon State Police assisted with an air patrol, and a sheriff’s K-9 named Yana was deployed, but Patterson was not located.
A second attempt to stop the pair occurred March 17, when deputies again encountered Patterson driving with Vineyard as a passenger. Authorities said Patterson fled at a high rate of speed along Highway 199. Deputies terminated the pursuit after it crossed into California and entered the Smith River Canyon due to concerns for public safety.
On March 20, deputies received information about the pair’s location. Law enforcement personnel, including K-9 Yana, surrounded the area and issued commands for the suspects to surrender. Both complied and were taken into custody without incident.
A third individual, Aaron Geiger, 54, was also located at the scene and arrested.
All three were lodged at the Josephine County Jail on outstanding warrants as well as additional charges related to the earlier incidents, authorities said.
All suspects are believed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law
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