GILLETTE, Wyo. — Deputies arrested a man following a short pursuit and charged him with a felony after finding a handgun on him inside the Campbell County Detention Center on Thursday, Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds said.
Christopher D. Ortego, 41, was arrested on July 25 for eluding and impaired driving after allegedly leading deputies on a 15-minute pursuit in a maroon 1989 GMC Suburban. He was charged with bringing a deadly weapon into jail after being found with a .25 ACP caliber handgun inside the detention center, Reynolds said.
The pursuit began after Ortego fled from a deputy attempting to stop him for swerving and failing to maintain a single lane of travel on Highway 59 shortly before 2:13 a.m., per Reynolds.
According to the report, Ortego’s Suburban had two flat rear tires and he fled onto Interstate 90 at between 10 and 20 mph. Gillette Police Department officers deployed spike strips ahead of the vehicle when it exited around mile marker 128, deflating the front driver’s-side tire.
Reynolds said Ortego stopped near Stetson Drive and East 6th Street, where he was taken into custody for impaired driving and failing to maintain a single lane of travel. The handgun was reportedly found concealed in his boot at the detention center.
