Man Jailed For Leading Police On Dangerous Vehicle Pursuit Through Cle Elum

A Kittitas County man is behind bars after police say he led them on a dangerous vehicle pursuit through Cle Elum early Sunday.

The Ellensburg Daily Record says it began at around 1 a.m. when a deputy with the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office witnessed a near-collision on State Route 970 and attempted to pull over the driver who almost caused the crash.

Instead of stopping when police engaged their patrol lights, the driver - 23-year-old Aiden Curtis Joseph Beell of Cle Elum, fled at a high rate of speed.

Pursuing deputies reportedly recognized Beell from previous run-ins with him and knew he had outstanding warrants, and also noticed he was struggling for control of the vehicle with a female passenger.

As the chase entered the Cle Elum city limits, Beell reportedly began driving recklessly and his female passenger managed to safely jump from the vehicle while he continued on.

Deputies then broke off the pursuit over concerns for public safety since when Beell turned around to head back into Cle Elum after briefly leaving the city limits .

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The female passenger who escaped from Beell during the pursuit later told investigators the two had struggled inside the vehicle as she tried removing the keys from the ignition, and that she wanted to press charges against him since the car he used to flee from police belonged to her father and Beell had taken it without permission.

Officers finally caught up with Beell on Tuesday after a property owner on McCullough Road in Ellensburg called police to report he'd found a trespasser in the attic space of his barn, which turned out to be Beell.

Before deputies arrived at the barn, police say Beell called 9-1-1 and told dispatchers he was in possession of a firearm and made threats to shoot any officers who tried to approach him.

Beell had also reportedly entered a woman's home earlier that morning and demanded a Band-Aid before suddenly leaving.

He was arrested without incident and booked into the Kittitas County Jail on charges of attempting to elude police, burglary, reckless endangerment, and unlawful imprisonment.

At an initial hearing in Kittitas County Superior Court on Wednesday, Judge Chris Herion set Beell's bail at $100,000, noting his extensive criminal history and likelihood of potentially reoffending immediately if given a lower bond that would allow him to exit incarceration.