SWEETWATER COUNTY — After a manhunt lasting several hours this morning, a Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) deputy located an escaped fugitive.
On Tuesday, October 19, at around 9:50 p.m., SCSO deputies, along with officers from the Rock Springs Police Department (RSPD), learned of an inmate who had escaped custody from a private inmate transport vehicle while passing through Rock Springs, according to s SCSO press release.
The fugitive was identified as John L. Ortega, 29, originally of Rock Springs. Ortega was in transport from a detention facility in California for court proceedings on other charges he faces in Cheyenne, Wyoming when, during a rest stop in the 3000 block of College Drive in Rock Springs, he somehow managed to slip his restraints, escape the private transport van, and flee on foot, the release states.
After a manhunt lasting several hours early this morning, sheriff’s deputy Leeland Reese spotted Ortega in the 2300 block of Reagan Avenue. After a brief foot pursuit toward the 2200 block of Cripple Creek Drive, Deputy Reese, with assistance from RSPD officers, successfully brought the escaped fugitive back into custody without further incident.
In addition to his charges in California and Cheyenne, Ortega now faces potential charges of interference with a peace officer and escape from official detention in Sweetwater County. He remains in custody at the Sweetwater County Detention Center pending his initial appearance before a judge in court, according to the release.
In Wyoming, interference with a peace officer is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, a fine of not more than $1,000, or both while escape from official detention is a felony that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years.
The SCSO reminds everyone that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with law.
