Around 7:00 a.m. on April 1st, a resident
of Othello called law enforcement regarding a stolen vehicle. The owner decided to follow the suspect and report the incident to Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Further reporting that he was following the vehicle in another car. When Adams County Deputies were able to catch up to the stolen vehicle the suspect and follow vehicle entered Franklin County.
According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office At approximately Hendricks the suspect abruptly stopped and exited the vehicle near Scootney Rd pulled out a handgun and began firing upon the owner of the stolen vehicle. The owner was following the suspect while waiting for the police to catch-up. The Othello resident and stolen car owner was not hit or injured by the gunfire. The suspect then jumped back into the stolen vehicle entering SR-17, and began heading southbound on US-395 highway.
Franklin County and Adams County Deputies took up the pursuit of the car theft exceeding speeds of 100mph. The suspect stopped the vehicle in the small town of Eltopia and surrendered to law enforcement without incident. Authorities apprehended 45-year-old Othello resident Tony Orlando Cantu. Cantu was transported and booked into the Franklin County Corrections Center for various felony charges which include possession of stolen property, eluding, and felony assault.