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CdA man facing prison after running from traffic
stop |
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November 21, 2017 |
By Mike Weland
A common but illegal left turn, a man afraid of
his outstanding warrants and worst-case mental
images of an unknown
felon on the loose all crashed together Sunday
afternoon, leading to a usually peaceful
neighborhood becoming the scene of a nearly
five-hour manhunt.
According to sheriff and court records, the incident
began a little after 3 p.m. November 19 when
Idaho State Police Corporal Dustin Kralic
watched a black 2001 Toyota Corolla with local
plates traveling west on Highway 2 turn left at
the Three Mile traffic light onto Highway 95.
Instead of pulling into the nearest lane, the
driver drove into the southbound outside lane,
prompting Kralic to follow and stop the car for
an illegal turn on the North Hill near
mile 509.
Once they were stopped, Kralik asked the driver and front seat
passenger for ID, and both readily complied, but
the gentleman in the back seat said he had no
ID, and gave his name as Tyler Joe Fox.
When Kralik asked that man for his Social Security
number, the man blanched, and when asked if he had
any outstanding warrants, he admitted softly
that he was on felony probation for burglary.
After telling those in the car to sit tight,
Trooper Kralic returned to his patrol vehicle to
call in the stop, and watched as the rear
passenger door swung open and "Tyler Joe Fox"
scrambled out and up the steep slope,
disappearing over the crest heading west in the
direction of Hillcrest Road and the Boundary County
Landfill.
Because he had two others still in the vehicle, Kralic
called for backup, to include a K-9 unit and air
support, while he remained with the Toyota. A search of the vehicle turned up a
backpack identified as belonging to the backseat
passenger, and inside was a small amount of
marijuana and some drug paraphernalia.
A number of law enforcement officers responded
to Kralic's call, including border patrol
agents, city police, Sheriff David Kramer and
several sheriff's deputies. Work began to obtain
a warrant needed to gain access to the man's
cell phone, which could be used to pinpoint his
location, while others fanned out to begin the
search and establish a perimeter.
As the search was getting underway, a Bonners
Ferry Police officer put out word
that the man, possibly named Alex, had
been picked up hitchhiking earlier on
Highway 2.
Based on scanner traffic, at about 3:40 p.m.
NewsBF posted to its Facebook page, "There is
heavy law enforcement activity in the area of
the landfill as officers work to capture a
person believed to be a dangerous felon. Avoid
the area if at all possible. Those residing in
the area should stay inside until the situation
is resolved."
Almost immediately, readers began responding, tagging others
who presumably live in the area.
"Lock your cars and house doors," one reader
advised in tagging a family member.
"I live
right here. Please keep us updated!" requested
another.
At about 4:33 p.m., a drone with thermal imaging
cameras was launched, but the suspect eluded
capture. and the scanner fell mostly silent.
At 7:05 p.m., after a call to Sheriff Dave
Kramer was returned, NewsBF started a second Facebook thread,
posting, "Law enforcement personnel are
continuing the search for a man believed to have
a nation-wide no-bond felony warrant for his
arrest after the individual bailed out of a
vehicle sought by Idaho State Police at about 4
p.m. today on the North Hill and has so far
evaded those searching the area around the
Boundary County Landfill. The man, who has not
yet been positively identified, is described as
being about 26-years-old, of medium build with a
slight beard, wearing blue jeans, light colored
shoes, a red t-shirt with a dark long sleeve
shirt underneath."
The message was also posted to the NewsBF
website, and an email alert was sent out, both advising, "Those
who live on the North Hill are advised to remove
your keys from all vehicles and lock the doors,
and to keep the doors and windows to your home
locked. If you see anyone fitting this
description, do not attempt to capture him but
call the sheriff's office ..."
Again, a wave of people posted, tagging family
and friends to let them know of the unfolding
situation.
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Facebook photo |
At about 7:57 p.m., the Bonners Ferry Herald
posted a Facebook link to their article, "Man
hunt in progress," which included an
unattributed photo of a man matching the
description given earlier leaving a black car.
(After finding what appears to be a series with
the same photo in court case file
CR-2017-00001188, identified as a dashcam image
from an Idaho State Police patrol vehicle,
NewsBF today requested a copy and was informed
that ISP dashcam images are never released to
the media for public dissemination while a case
is pending.)
At 8:09 p.m., the scanner came alive as dispatch
put out word that an employee
at the Three Mile Store reported that a man was
in the store wearing a red shirt and matching
the description of the suspect.
One minute later, at about 8:10 p.m., dispatch advised
responding officers that the
employee reported the man ran out of the
store as law enforcement vehicles approached.
At 8:11 p.m., a Border Patrol agent reported
that the man was detained in the parking lot of
the business across Highway 95 to the west, and
a short time later a city police officer advised
dispatch that he was taking the suspect to jail.
According to court documents, Trooper Kralik
went to the jail soon after and met the man, now positively
identified as Alex A. O'Connor, 26, Coeur
d'Alene, and asked him why he'd run.
"Why do you think?" O'Connor replied. "I have a
warrant!"
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| Boundary
County booking photo, Alex A. O'Connor |
He actually had two, both out of Kootenai
County, one from October, 2017, for failure to
appear, the other a $5,000 no-bond warrant for felony
probation violation on a controlled substance conviction.
According to the Idaho Court Supreme Court Data
Repository, O'Connor has a long criminal
history, but one that doesn't show an outward
propensity for violence.
Instead, it seems to show a man who should
seriously be considering a different career
path, as he doesn't appear particularly lucky or
adept at a life of crime.
O'Connor was charged as a juvenile
for possession of alcohol and an invalid drivers
license in 2007, and later admitted to possession of
drug paraphernalia and two counts of probation
violation, again as a minor, in 2008. He was
convicted of invalid license in 2010 and for DUI
and driving without privileges in 2011.
In 2012, he was again convicted of driving
without privileges and for having no insurance, and later for possession of
paraphernalia.
In 2015, a charge of petit theft against him was
dismissed, as was another case of invalid
license, in early 2017, he was again convicted
of possession of paraphernalia for a March, 2016,
charge.
On April 29, 2016, he was charged in Kootenai
County with two counts of burglary, misdemeanor
possession of a controlled substance, possession
of stolen property, possession of paraphernalia
and resisting or obstructing officers.
One county of burglary was dismissed, the second
amended to petit theft before it, too, was
dismissed. Charges of possession of a controlled
substance and resisting or obstructing officers
were also dismissed, and he was found guilty of
possession of stolen property and possession of
paraphernalia, for which he served 13 days of a
year long sentence and had fines of $450 levied.
He was again charged with petit theft January
11, 2017, for which he failed to appear February
1, and he was
convicted in May, 2017, on a felony charge of
possession of a controlled substance, for which
he was sentenced to two to five years in prison,
and released on probation, which he allegedly
violated September 29, leading to a no bond
warrant being issued for felony probation
violation.
The January petit theft charge is pending.
Now, in addition to the legal woes wrought by
his earlier convictions, he has to face that
pesky September 29 probation violation charge,
as well as brand new charges of resisting and
obstructing arrest, possession of marijuana and
possession of paraphernalia.
He is scheduled to appear before
Magistrate Judge Justin Julian for a pretrial
hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, December 14, and
for a jury trial at 9 a.m. Tuesday, December 19.
Public defender Serra Wood has been appointed to
represent him. |
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