Car theft suspect arrested trying to purchase police scanner

A weekend car chase left a stolen Lexus rolling off a cliffside, an innocent bystander staring down the barrel of an M-16 and one of two suspects in police custody.

The incident finally came to a conclusion when the second suspect was apprehended approximately 12 hours later, reportedly while purchasing a police scanner.

Both now face burglary and vehicle theft charges.

Jasen Lynn Dushane, 35, of Reno, was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, burglary, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy, possession of drug paraphernalia and evading arrest. He was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Manda Lynn Wentzloff, 35, of Nevada City, was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, burglary, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy, and being under the influence of a controlled substance. She was being held in lieu of $11,000 bail.

The couple first drew the attention of a Nevada County Sheriff's deputy as the Lexus pulled into the Chevron station in Penn Valley at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, said Sheriff Keith Royal.

"They appeared nervous, so (the deputy) followed the vehicle and ran the plate," Royal said. "It came back as stolen."

After the deputy attempted to make a traffic stop on Pleasant Valley Road, the driver of the Lexus allegedly failed to stop and instead pulled onto Black Forest Road, Royal said. After a short pursuit, both the man and woman jumped out of the moving vehicle and fled on foot. The vehicle then rolled over, Royal said.

Nearby property owner Mike Harris ended up “spread-eagled in the mud, in my robe,” after he came out to investigate.

"It was an eventful night," Harris said.

Harris said he heard the fast-moving cars coming up his muddy, rutted, washed-out road.

"I heard someone spinning out, then ‘boom, boom, boom' — the car must have rolled three times. It just went off the cliff and rolled through heavy manzanita,” he said.

Harris said he feared the driver in the accident was his son.

"The cars had their lights on, but no sirens," Harris said, adding the lights fooled him into thinking a car was on fire.

"All of a sudden, I was hit with a spotlight," he said. "I heard, 'Get down, get down.'"

At first, Harris tried to argue, not wanting to lay on the mucky ground.

"Then I saw he was pointing an M-16 at me," he said.

It wasn't until deputies found Wentzloff that they believed Harris wasn't also a suspect, he said. Dushane was able to elude deputies as they searched.

Deputies "heard whimpering in the bushes," Royal said. "(Wentzloff) had dropped her glasses and couldn't see."

Wentzloff allegedly told deputies she had been staying at a motel in Reno with Dushane. At the Nevada motel, deputies reportedly also found a stolen BMW.

"Inside the room, they found evidence that both had forged checks, printed false identification and printed their own forged checks,” Royal said. “They also recovered mail stolen from Nevada County residents, and even from Las Vegas."

Dushane was discovered to have a warrant issued by the U.S. Marshals for fraud and parole violation, and a be-on-the-lookout advisory was issued.

In the end, the fugitive proved easy to apprehend.

Wentzloff allegedly told deputies that Dushane had tried to buy a police scanner from a local Radio Shack, and that he was scheduled to pick it up later that day.

"He did go back, at about 2:30 p.m., and was arrested without incident," Royal said.

To contact The Union staff writer Liz Kellar, email lkellar@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4229.