Wanted man arrested for felony eluding

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

SPIRIT LAKE — A 30-year-old Otis Orchards man who was sought on two warrants is being held at the Kootenai County Jail after allegedly leading police on a vehicle chase and fleeing on foot.

Jesse Dillion Degroot was being held at the jail on Thursday on bonds totaling $80,300 for charges of felony eluding and possession of drug paraphernalia and warrants for another felony eluding case and probation violation.

The passenger, Tessa Anne Youngwirth, 21, Rathdrum, was being held on Thursday on a $2,000 bond for obstructing an officer.

According to Spirit Lake Police, an officer attempted to stop Degroot in a red 1977 Chevy pickup for driving with no taillights on Monday around 1:30 a.m. on Highway 41 near Blackwell Boulevard.

"Rather than yielding, the vehicle turned onto Nautical Loop and led the officer on a pursuit to the Maiden Rock boat launch parking lot area south of Spirit Lake," said Heather McDaniel, the department's public information officer. "It continued down a dusty, narrow, overgrown trail leading south."

The vehicle eventually came to a stop and both occupants allegedly fled on foot, McDaniel said.

The Spirit Lake officer waited for a cover unit and requested a Kootenai County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit to assist with tracking the suspects.

Based on information found in the vehicle, Degroot was identified as the primary suspect along with his two warrants.

"(Youngwirth) returned to the scene shortly thereafter and was taken into custody," McDaniel said.

When the K-9 handler called out commands for Degroot to come out before deploying the dog, Degroot surrendered, McDaniel said. Degroot was arrested without further incident.

"The K-9 never ended up having to actually track Degroot," McDaniel said. "Once the handler started announcing the presence of the dog and giving commands to come out, Degroot complied."

Both suspects have a drug history. Youngwirth was arrested just last month during a bust at a Post Falls home on two counts of possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia and frequenting an area where drugs are used or sold.