The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has filled in the details concerning this week’s chase and resulting manhunt in McCloud. At 6:15AM Tuesday morning a deputy came upon a pickup truck idling on Upland Road just outside Mount Shasta City. Inside were two people passed out and the truck bed contained what appeared to be stolen property. The deputy woke up the two people, who identified themselves as Stephen Robles and Leanne Varao. Robles was on parole for 2nd degree murder and on probation for assault and reckless driving. While the deputy was talking to them, Robles suddenly sped away and the deputy followed. As they neared Old McCloud Road, the deputy saw the muzzle of a Shotgun in the rear window and two shots were fired, striking the patrol car. Another shot was fired as they approached Mount Shasta Boulevard and another as they approached Highway 89. Yet another shot was fired when the truck turned onto Broadway Avenue in McCloud and the deputy lost sight of the pickup. A witness pointed the way and the deputy found the truck abandoned down the road. An intensive search began as area residents were told to take shelter in their homes. The search continued all day and Robles was found around 7PM that evening on the second floor of a garage. Varao was found hiding in a different home the next day.
-Steve Gibson