Fugitive dies after leading police on high-speed chase into California
A wanted Illinois fugitive found Thursday in a downtown Las Vegas casino is dead after leading officials on a high-speed chase into California.
The wanted man from Springfield, Illinois, was ejected from his vehicle and died just before 8:20 p.m. Thursday. The police chase ended when the man’s vehicle, stopped by spike strips, landed on top of him, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The pursuit began about 4:30 p.m. Thursday when Golden Nugget Casino security guards spotted the fugitive playing in a poker tournament. The Highway Patrol said the man had cut his ankle monitor off.
Casino security lost him after a short pursuit. Officials later found the man inside Whiskey Pete’s in Primm.
Las Vegas federal marshals responded to Whiskey Pete’s and “attempted to contact the fugitive,” the Highway Patrol said, but he fled south on Interstate 15. The Nevada Highway Patrol and Las Vegas police followed the man across the state line until the California Highway Patrol took over.
The pursuit reached speeds near 100 mph, the Highway Patrol said. The fugitive’s vehicle was stopped by the spike strips on I-15 just south of the Afton Road exit.
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