Stolen vehicle in Ontario leads to arrest in Pendleton Thursday
By Griffin Beach on Friday, April 18th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Eastern/Southeast Oregon Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News Northeastern Oregon Top Stories
PENDLETON – A stolen vehicle reported out of Ontario led to the arrest of a Spokane Valley, Washington man on Thursday.
An Oregon State Police (OSP) trooper in Pendleton received a call about the stolen vehicle traveling westbound on I-84 at around 10:41 a.m. Shortly after the vehicle was located, it was stopped and the driver was detained. An investigation was conducted, and probable cause was found for the driver’s arrest.
After the driver was booked into the Umatilla County Jail the Ontario Police Department emailed Pendleton OSP pictures of the driver on security camera from a previous shoplifting incident. They also advised that the suspect was tied to two other vehicle thefts in the Weiser, Idaho and Ontario areas. The owner of the vehicle that the suspect was stopped in consented to a search of the vehicle, and the clothing that the suspect was wearing in the other theft and shoplifting incidents was found in the vehicle. The vehicles owner drove to Pendleton and recovered the car.
32-year-old Emmett Reed Hotchkiss was charged with felony unauthorized use of vehicle, and felony possession of stolen vehicle.
OSP was assisted by the Pendleton Police Department.
