Foot Chase Forces Highway 217 Closure Tuesday Afternoon

BEAVERTON, OR — Highway 217 at Highway 26 was temporarily shutdown Tuesday afternoon while officers chased a runaway theft suspect — who'd just escaped the hospital where he was taken following an overdose earlier Tuesday morning.

Megel Perez, 49, and Nicasio Jose McCoy, 24, were taken to Washington County Jail for felony theft. Additional charges for Perez include interfering with — and providing false information to — a police officer.

Perez is also being held on an outstanding felony probation violation warrant for failing to report as a sex offender, among other charges; and McCoy is also being held on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant out of Multnomah County for harassment charges he received in November 2017.

Beaverton officers were originally dispatched to the 6500-block of Southwest Old Scholls Ferry Road in response to a reported overdose just after 9:15 a.m. March 20.

While interviewing the caller, later identified as McCoy, officers reportedly took notice of various items around the home that appeared to have been stolen, such as jeans, purses, and an array of electronics — valued around $1,700, police said.

When confronted, McCoy allegedly confessed he'd stolen the items from multiple stores and added that Perez was involved.

McCoy was subsequently arrested while Perez was taken to hospital.

Just after 12:30 p.m., Perez was able to check himself out of hospital and elude the officer waiting to arrest him.

Perez was able to get onto Highway 217 and lead officers on a foot chase in the northbound lanes near the Highway 26 interchange. For safety, police shutdown the freeway until Perez was taken into custody.

Perez has a long, sordid history of criminal activity in Oregon dating back to 1986, including charges for theft, sex abuse, burglary, and possession of methamphetamine.

Images via Beaverton Police Department