Phelan Man Arrested for Vehicle Theft and Leading Deputies on Pursuit

A 26-year-old Phelan man was arrested after leading deputies on a pursuit on Thursday morning. At around 6:00 a.m. deputies from the Victor Valley Station responded to the area of US Highway 138 and the I-15 in the Cajon Pass for the report of a possibly abandoned vehicle.

While en route, the deputy confirmed that the CR&R Disposal Company vehicle was stolen. As she approached the vehicle she could see Johnathan Demay taking items out of the stolen vehicle and putting them into the back of a black Ford F150 truck. She quickly pulled up behind the vehicle and activated her overhead lights. Demay got into the truck and drove over a dirt berm and onto Highway 138.  He did not yield for a couple of miles, driving around 50 miles per hour through a construction zone. He unsafely passed vehicle on the shoulder of the road, and hit a K-rail.

Demay eventually got stuck in soft sand when he drove off of the roadway near Mormon Rocks. He got out of his vehicle and ran to the top of the rocks. When he reached the top, he realized that he had nowhere else to run. He placed his hands in the air to surrender. A Sheriff’s helicopter was called to the scene in order to assist in taking Demay into custody by landing, making the arrest, and finally airlifting him off of the mountain.

Demay was booked into the High Desert Detention Center and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. Anyone with information regarding this crime is urged to contact Deputy Molly Leiker at the Victor Valley Sheriff’s Station, (760) 552-6801. Persons wishing to remain anonymous can re port information to WeTip by calling 1-800-78-CRIME, or by accessing the website at www.wetip.com.

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