By Ruth Brown
Idaho Falls Post Register
IDAHO FALLS — A fugitive sought for nearly two weeks by Bonneville County law enforcement was found Tuesday afternoon hiding on a remote island in the Snake River near Firth.
Earlier Tuesday, a Bonneville County sheriff’s deputy tried to pull over Francisco P. Tarin, 41, for failing to yield on Broadway in Idaho Falls. But Tarin fled the scene at about 4:50 a.m., turning north onto Interstate 15, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jeff Edwards said.
The seven-minute pursuit reached speeds of more than 100 mph at times, Edwards said. The chase started on I-15. Tarin left the interstate for a time and traveled over city streets before getting back on the interstate.
During part of the chase, Tarin drove south in the interstate’s northbound lanes.
Edwards said law enforcement called off the pursuit when they began approaching an unrelated
accident scene on the interstate. Two semi-trucks collided near Blackfoot and officials were still in the process of clearing the road. Continuing a high-speed chase in the area would have endangered those people, Edwards said.
Bonneville County and Bingham County deputies later located Tarin’s car in a ditch outside Firth.
Bingham County deputies reported a boat had been stolen in the area and piloted to a remote island. Bonneville County’s SWAT team responded to the scene at 10:58 a.m. and searched the island for Tarin, Edwards said. He was apprehended at 1:28 p.m.
Tarin also fled from police Sept. 25 in Idaho Falls during a previous attempted traffic stop. He was wanted on five arrest warrants for stalking, burglary, aggravated assault, eluding police and misdemeanor battery.
The stalking and aggravated assault charges stemmed from incidents in which Tarin followed a woman. He reportedly was in a relationship with the woman, Edwards said.Tarin tried to ram her car, followed her and threatened her by saying he had a rifle and a pistol he would use if she cooperated with police. He also sent her text messages threatening to harm her if she cooperated with police, Edwards said.
Tarin has had multiple run-ins with law enforcement, including four prior obstructing or resisting law enforcement convictions and two prior assault or battery on law enforcement convictions, according to the Idaho State Repository.
In addition, he has multiple battery charges, two forgery charges, multiple disturbing the peace charges and multiple traffic violations on his record, according to the repository.
Copyright 2012 The Post Register