A Jamestown man is in custody awaiting multiple charges arising from an alleged pickup theft and pursuits that ended with a vehicle on the ice of the Jamestown Reservoir, according to Justin Blinsky, assistant chief of police for Jamestown.
Jon Schuldheisz, 19, was taken into custody by the Jamestown Police Department with the assistance of some "good Samaritan" ice fishermen on the reservoir this morning, Blinsky said. Schuldheisz was transported to Jamestown Regional Medical Center for a medical evaluation before being taken to the Stutsman County Correctional Center where he is being held pending formal charges.
The incident started at 1:44 a.m. when Jamestown residents reported a stolen pickup. The vehicle was spotted by someone familiar with the vehicle and aware it had been stolen in the area of the 1000 block of 4th Street Northwest. The pickup fled and officers discontinued the pursuit because the driver was traveling in an "extremely reckless manner at high speed," Blinsky said.
Shortly thereafter the vehicle was spotted again headed north out of town on U.S. Highway 52 and another pursuit ensued. The vehicle turned east in the vicinity of Pelican Point and crashed, although the driver was able to continue onto the ice of the Jamestown Reservoir where the vehicle came to a stop.
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Schuldheisz fled on foot toward the east but was apprehended.
The vehicle remains on the ice while officials explore possible ways to safely remove it from the reservoir. Blinsky said fishermen in the area reported ice of up to 8 inches thick, although it varied from spot to spot.
The Jamestown Police Department was assisted by the Stutsman County Sheriff's Office, Jamestown Area Ambulance, North Dakota Highway Patrol and Stutsman County Dive Team which was on standby during the incident.
