Pursuit ends after suspect drives stolen car over cliff near Prescott, DPS says
Suspect only suffered minor injuries; found hiding in trees at rim of canyon

John Felipe Jaimes, 29, of Las Vegas, Nevada was arrested just south of Prescott late Monday, May 27, after a police pursuit that started near Anthem. (Yavapai County Sheriff's Office/Courtesy)

John Felipe Jaimes, 29, of Las Vegas, Nevada was arrested just south of Prescott late Monday, May 27, after a police pursuit that started near Anthem. (Yavapai County Sheriff's Office/Courtesy)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6d-D0uqsgc&feature=youtu.be

A police pursuit through Prescott and Prescott Valley Monday night, May 27, ended when the suspect drove a stolen car off a cliff, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS).

On Monday at around 9 p.m., DPS troopers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle, which they located on Highway 74 (Carefree Highway) near Interstate 17 just south of Anthem.

The suspect refused to stop and led officers on a pursuit from northbound I-17 that eventually came through Prescott and Prescott Valley, DPS said. During the pursuit, the suspect reportedly avoided spike strips and tried to carjack two vehicles but was unsuccessful. A DPS Ranger helicopter helped monitor the stolen vehicle as the suspect drove it out of the Prescott area toward Wilhoit.

The pursuit ended on Highway 89 when the suspect drove over a cliff in the southbound lanes near milepost 303, DPS reported.

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Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) investigators are on the scene where a stolen vehicle was run off a cliff at mile marker 303 on Highway 89 Monday, May 28 between Prescott and Wilhoit. The vehicle is approximately 500 feet down a steep hillside, landing in a drainage. (Les Stukenberg/Courier)

“The vehicle was found approximately 500 feet down the canyon,” DPS spokesperson Bart Graves said.

An officer saw the driver bail out of the car just before it went over the cliff, Graves said. He was located in trees on the rim of the canyon and arrested.

He was identified as John Felipe Jaimes, 29, of Las Vegas. He was treated for minor injuries and then booked into the Yavapai County jail in Camp Verde on charges of theft of means of transportation, failure to comply with a police officer, endangerment, false reporting, driving under the influence (DUI) to the slightest degree, two counts of aggravated DUI and criminal damage.

https://youtu.be/q85hvpmHnxw

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