Suspects arrested after high-speed chase throughout Southern Nevada

By Gregan Wingert

Friday, April 6, 2012 | 10 p.m.

For nearly two hours Metro Police cars and helicopters chased a pickup truck speeding recklessly Friday for more than 100 miles throughout Southern Nevada after the suspects allegedly stole air conditioning units.

The driver, Christopher Sheppard, 30, of Las Vegas and a female passenger were taken into custody at 3:21 p.m. after a police vehicle struck their dark blue Chevrolet truck near Lamb Boulevard and Stewart Avenue, police said.

Sheppard has been booked into the Clark County Detention Center and faces one felony count of evading a police vehicle, police said.

The two were taken to a nearby hospital for observation, police said. The woman has been released and was not charged at this time.

The arrests follow an incident that occurred around 1:35 p.m., when police were notified that three people were suspected of stealing air conditioning units from a vacant residence near Sahara Avenue and Grand Canyon Drive in the northwest valley, police said.

Another man, Ryan Donnelly, 38, of Las Vegas who was in the truck when the pursuit started was arrested at 2:02 p.m. when the truck made a stop at an apartment complex near Nellis Boulevard and Russell Road, police said.

Police say Donnelly exited the truck and attempted to flee on foot, but was caught by responding officers.

Donnelly, a known sex offender, faces charges of failing to change address, possession of dangerous drugs without a prescription and obstructing a police officer, police said.

Patrol cars and two helicopters — one of which was called in later after the first responding unit became low on fuel — continued to monitor the movements of the truck for about two hours as it sped more than 100 mph at times through the freeways and streets of Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City, police said.

Around 3:20 p.m. the truck was seen fleeing northbound on Lamb Boulevard, and a marked patrol vehicle attempted a Pursuit Intervention Technique maneuver, in which the officer would rear-end the truck to a stop, police said.

Before the officer was able get his vehicle into position for the maneuver the Chevrolet pickup truck made a U-turn in the intersection and was stuck on the driver’s side by the patrol unit, police said.

The truck was pushed onto the curb near Lamb Boulevard and Elm Avenue, police said. No other injuries were reported.

The incident remains under investigation and additional charges may be filed against the three suspects at a later date, police said.