Stolen vehicle recovery ends in custody for missing Montana person near Burns

BURNS-A multi-agency effort on Sunday afternoon led to the recovery of a stolen vehicle and the safe apprehension of a missing individual reported out of Montana.

According to dispatch logs, the incident began shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 9, when local authorities received a request for assistance from Sheriff Jenkins with the University of Montana Police Department. Montana authorities were attempting to locate Joseph Hota, 23, who had been reported missing out of Montana.

Hota was reported to be traveling toward The Narrows and had been spotted earlier in the day at a local Shell gas station.

At approximately 1:54 p.m., a law enforcement deputy spotted the suspect vehicle near the junction of Highway 78 and Highway 205 and called for backup. Dispatch logs indicate the vehicle—a 2012 Chevy Cruze—was displaying stolen Oregon license plates out of Vale, Oregon. Further verification confirmed the vehicle itself had been reported stolen out of Missoula, Montana.

A Burns Police Officer responded to assist, and by 2:23 p.m., officers took Hota into custody without incident at the scene. The nature of the call was subsequently updated from a missing person report to a stolen vehicle investigation.

Following the arrest, a towing company was dispatched to impound the stolen sedan.

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Elkhorn Media Group