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12-hour manhunt ends in Glenbrook

Jeff Munson
Dan Thrift/Tahoe Daily Tribune The Washoe County SWAT team truck sits at the entrance to Glenbrook on Tuesday morning while members search the area for suspect Roderick Macleod.
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A 19-year-old Carson City man eluded authorities for more than 12 hours Tuesday during a chase that went from Carson City to Lake Tahoe.

Roderick Macleod was arrested at 5:17 p.m., after he was discovered hiding in bushes near a house on Kelly Circle in Glenbrook, about 10 miles from the Stateline casino corridor.

He was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, evading authorities and assault with a deadly weapon after repeatedly trying to ram patrol cars, a Douglas County sheriff’s official said.



Macleod may also be charged with other felony crimes including attempted murder if it is determined that gunshots were fired, Sgt. Tom Mezzetta said.

The chase began at around 4:15 a.m. and funneled its way through Carson Valley and Carson City before ending up at Lake Tahoe.



A passenger in the truck was also apprehended.

Michael Mitchell, 18, of Gardnerville, was arrested on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle and eluding police officers. Mitchell apparently jumped out of the U-Haul at Highway 395 and Mica during the chase. He initially told deputies he was being held hostage by Macleod, deputies reported.

Deputies have said shots were heard fired from the U-Haul. Also, deputies initially reported Macleod carrying a handgun when he fled from them into heavy brush after dumping the truck.

“At this time these are still unconfirmed. We are trying to piece together the stories involved,” Mezzetta said.

The chase and manhunt tied up traffic in a 13-mile stretch between Lake Tahoe and Carson City. Both lanes of Highway 50 were closed from about 7 a.m. until about 10 a.m.

A tactic that involved abandoning the search for Macleod while planting plain-clothes officers near the arrest site was successful less than 20 minutes after it was put in place.

The search for Macleod was publicly called off at about 5 p.m. while Douglas and Washoe county deputies with the TRINET unit were called into the area to mingle around like ordinary citizens, Mezzetta said.

A man inside a Kelly Circle home at Glenbrook called 911 dispatch to report seeing a man without a shirt and in blue jeans hiding in some bushes. He had not noticed the man before.

“It is possible (Macleod ) saw that we vacated the area and he came out of hiding,” Mezzetta said.

Macleod was spotted shortly after 1 p.m. halfway down a ravine in the Glenbrook area by Washoe County deputies.

The pursuit continued, with a helicopter, two SWAT teams and police dogs in the area.

Patrol officers tried to stop the U-Haul near Indian Hills when it proceeded to drive away at high speed from officers, changing lanes and, at times, driving in the opposite lanes.

The suspect drove the vehicle up Spooner Summit to Lake Tahoe, reportedly driving in opposite lanes of traffic and slamming into concrete barriers. Macleod allegedly was seen sticking his hand out the window as though he had a weapon.

Authorities said the stolen vehicle went around the casino corridor and headed eastbound on Highway 50 to Zephyr Cove. Officers reported hearing shots fired from the U-Haul when it reached the Zephyr Cove area.

Macleod jumped out of the U-Haul and ran into a canyon straight down toward Lake Tahoe. Deputies pursued him, but lost him in the thick undergrowth.

He was seen clutching a handgun as he ran from the vehicle, according to officers at the scene.

Macleod was described as 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighing 140 pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes.

According to Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong, speaking at the scene, the truck was taken from the U-Haul store at Saliman and William streets at about 3 a.m. by at least two teens.

– Tribune News Service writer F.T. Norton contributed to this story.


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