Man Who Drove Truck With Woman, Dog Inside Into River Arrested: Police

HILLSBORO, OR — Jonathan Michael Laura's time on the run did not last long. Hillsboro Police arrested him Thursday, around 24 hours after the Washington County Sheriff's Office says that he led deputies on a chase, drove a stolen truck into the Tualatin River, and then fled, leaving his 6-month pregnant girlfriend who can't swim to be rescued by the deputies.

The sheriff's office says that Laura was arrested on charges unrelated to all of that on Thursday by Hillsboro Police.

He's been booked not Washington County Jail on the following charges:

• Unlawful use of a motor vehicle
• Possession of a stolen vehicle
• Attempt to elude – felony
• Attempt to elude – misdemeanor
• Reckless driving
• Driving while revoked – misdemeanor
• Reckless endangering
• Criminal mischief in the first degree

The incident started just after 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Sergeant Steven Schuster with the Washington County Sheriff's Office was driving on Souhwest Minter Bridge Road by the Tualatin River when he saw a 1992 Nissan pickup parked along the side of the road. He went over to see if they needed help.

A woman in the pickup told him that they had run out of gas, her boyfriend had gone to get more, and they were okay.

Schuster went back to is car and started to drive away. Moments later, he got word that the pickup had been stolen.

As Schuster and some deputies started back to the pickup, it sped away. They could see that the woman was in the passenger seat and a man, since identified as Laura, was driving.

Schuster and the deputies gave chase and tried to get the pickup to pull over.

Deputies say that Laura kept going, turning on to a field next to the Tualatin River. He drove another 300 yards and then off a steep embankment right into the Tualatin River.

Deputies say that they could see Laura climb out of the truck along with a dog that had been with him and the woman. They say that Laura and the dog swam to the other side of the river and climbed up on the bank and ran away.

Meanwhile, the woman managed to get out of the truck but yelled for help, telling them that she could not swim. The deputies acted quickly because they could see the current starting to carry the woman away.

While one deputy shed their duty belt and vest, another deputy grabbed a rescue rope.

Once one deputy was in the water, the other threw an end of the rope.
The swimming deputy grabbed the rope and reached the woman. They deputies worked to get her safely back on land.

Once there, she thanked them, adding that she is 6-months pregnant.

They took her to a hospital where she was evaluated and released. She was not not injured.

Later in the morning, deputies and people from Washington County Animal Services were able to find the dog who is safe and unharmed.

Around noon, the pickup was recovered from the river.

The sheriff's office identified the other deputies involved in the rescue as Michael Vargas, Daniel Lancaster and John Skoglund