A Sweet Home man who fled the Linn County Courthouse after a trial in September was arrested Tuesday at a house on Brush Creek Road outside Crawfordsville.
Linn County Sheriff’s deputies got a tip Tuesday, Oct. 7, regarding the whereabouts of Jerald Allen Erickson, 54, of Sweet Home, Sheriff Bruce Riley said.
Erickson fled the Linn County Courthouse in early September at the conclusion of a trial in which he was found guilty of theft. He fled before he could be sentenced and had reportedly been hiding out in east Linn County, Riley said.
While conducting focus patrols, a tip led deputies to the 25000 block of Brush Creek Road. Deputies located Erickson hiding in the residence along with several others, including a fugitive from Tillamook County.
The others were identified as Mark Lawrence Idzal, 33, of Sweet Home and Jacqueline Diane Banta, 25, of Tillamook. Idzal had a warrant for charges of parole violations involving marijuana, heroin and other schedule 1 drugs, as well as frequenting known drug locations and theft. Banta was arrested on a Linn County Supervisory warrant.
Jill Renae Larsen, 24, of Sweet Home, was arrested for allegedly hindering prosecution as she tried to conceal the locations and identities of the three wanted subjects, Riley said. A fifth person, the homeowner, Nancy Jeanette Larsen, 55, was located a short distance from the residence and was cited and released on a Lebanon Justice Court warrant for contempt of court.
Jerald Erickson, Mark Idzal, Jacqueline Banta and Jill Larsen were transported and lodged at the Linn County Jail.
Riley said his department implemented the Focus Patrol program in June of this year.
“Focus Patrol is an internal office-wide effort to focus on problem areas and/or people in Linn County,” he said in a release. “We prioritize our patrols starting with recognizing the high crime areas within the county. We also look at traffic problem areas and proactive ways of improving the quality of life for our citizens.”