Central Oregon Daily News Staff

A Deschutes County sheriff's deputy used a high-tech tracking tool to tag a stolen pickup truck whose driver tried to get away from a traffic stop, leading to the arrest of a suspect Friday afternoon, the sheriff's office announced.

It started around 2:42 p.m. on southbound Highway 97 near Veterans Way. According to Sgt. Aaron Harding, a deputy tried to conduct a traffic stop on a black 2001 Ford F350 for a traffic violation. But the driver tried to elude the deputy.

After a short pursuit, the deputy tagged the vehicle using the StarChase device. It can fire a GPS tracker from a law enforcement vehicle that will attach to a suspect vehicle. That allows law enforcement to track the vehicle without having to continue a pursuit.

Harding said the F350 was tracked as it headed southeast off-road before being abandoned east of Chaparrel Drive and McGrath Road.

Deputies and a Bend Police Department K-9 managed to track down the suspect, identified by Harding as Joshua Lee Hart, 35, of Redmond, and took him into custody. Harding said Hart faces charges of fleeing or attempting to elude police, unauthorized use of a vehicle, criminal driving while suspended or revoked and an in-state warrant.

A Deschutes Alert notification was sent to nearby neighborhoods during the search, Harding said.