Man pleads guilty to charges in two-county car chase

Attorney says man will seek drug alternative

PORT TOWNSEND — A Lynnwood man who led police on a two-county pursuit has pleaded guilty to three charges, including the possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

Oscar Hernandez-Buenrostro, 22, also said he was guilty of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and making or possessing motor vehicle theft tools.

He entered the pleas Friday before Judge Keith Harper in Jefferson County Superior Court and remained in the Jefferson County Jail on Saturday in lieu of a $100,000 bond.

Sentencing will be at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

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Possession of a stolen motor vehicle is a Class B felony, which has a standard range of 43 to 54 months and a maximum of 10 years in prison, according to court documents.

Defense attorney Scott Charlton of Jefferson Associated Counsel said Hernandez-Buenrostro will be seeking either a prison-based or residential drug offender sentencing alternative (DOSA).

Hernandez-Buenrostro was charged with six crimes after he stole a Chevrolet pickup truck Nov. 17 from the parking lot at 7 Cedars Casino.

Three charges — theft of a motor vehicle, second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and possession of another’s identification — were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Hernandez-Buenrostro led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase with speeds that reached 118 mph on U.S. Highway 101 from Blyn in Clallam County to Port Townsend in Jefferson County.

A friend of the owner initially followed the pickup and alerted police, according to court documents.

Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies followed Hernandez-Buenrostro onto state Highway 104 and attempted to slow his vehicle with stop sticks.

After the attempt failed, Hernandez-Buenrostro tried to turn onto state Highway 19, but he spun out due to a high rate of speed and went into the ditch, court documents said.

Hernandez-Buenrostro then backed the pickup into the pursuing deputy’s vehicle and continued northbound on state Highways 19 and 20.

A Kitsap County K-9 unit tracked him down about 100 feet away from the end of Evans Vista Road in Port Townsend.

Two other suspects have pleaded not guilty for their alleged roles in the incident.

Mikayla Shaye Winkler, 22, of Renton and Joshua Taylor Daniels, 26, of Renton each were charged with multiple crimes.

Winkler was driving Daniels’ red Dodge Dart with Daniels as a passenger, police said, and court documents said they ran interference between the truck and pursuing law enforcement vehicles.

Winkler pleaded not guilty last month to being an accomplice in an attempt to elude a pursuing police vehicle while endangering others. She also pleaded not guilty to possessing methamphetamine, making or possessing motor vehicle theft tools and the use of drug paraphernalia.

Daniels pleaded not guilty to second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm based on a conviction of a non-serious felony offense in addition to second-degree possession of a stolen access device and the possession of heroin.

Winkler and Daniels have separate trials scheduled to begin Feb. 18. Both were released on personal recognizance following their initial appearances Nov. 18.

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Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 6, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.

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