Pursuit of OR bank robbery suspect ends with rollover crash near Bieber

An hour-long, high-speed pursuit of a suspected bank robber that began in Bend, Oregon, ended with a spectacular, rollover crash near Bieber in Lassen County, yesterday afternoon Friday, Jan. 11. The armed robbery suspect was apprehended after the crash and later booked into jail.

Dramatic cell phone footage captured the chase as it raced toward Bieber along Highway 299E. The footage, which was later shared with KVCR 7 News, showed a red Mercedes-Benz with several flat tires being pursued by no less than eight marked and unmarked patrol vehicles, as well as a CHP helicopter.

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Yesterday’s dramatic incident unfolded about 3:35 p.m., when Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon notified Modoc sheriff’s deputies about a pursuit headed toward Modoc County, Modoc Sheriff William “Tex” Dowdy later said in a written press release.

The dangerous, high-speed pursuit – which covered more than 70 miles and reached speeds in excess of 100 mph – began after officials in Oregon attempted to stop a man suspected of robbing a Bend, Oregon bank.

Modoc County sheriff’s deputies and CHP officers from the Alturas Area Office and Aviation Unit joined the chase as it entered Modoc County.

Officials ahead of the pursuit managed to successfully deploy spike strips, just after Beiber Rd. along Highway 299E, in Modoc County. Witnesses later reported that despite the spike strips flattening several of the fleeing vehicle’s tires the driver, identified as Cory Dwight Homestead, 40, of McMinnville, Oregon, continued fleeing at high-speed.

The chase eventually ended when Homestead lost control of his Mercedes and left the roadway, causing the sedan to overturn several times.

“(Homestead) was taken into custody and transported to an area hospital where he was evaluated and medically cleared for custody,” Dowdy said after the man’s arrest.

He was eventually booked into Modoc County Jail on suspicion of felony evading and a federal weapon’s related warrant. Officials made no mention of any charges related to the alleged bank robbery, which is still under investigation.

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Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.