A common but illegal left turn, a man afraid of his outstanding warrants and worst-case mental images of an unknown felon on the loose all crashed together Sunday afternoon, leading to a usually peaceful neighborhood becoming the scene of a nearly five-hour manhunt.
According to sheriff and court records, the incident began a little after 3 p.m. November 19 when Idaho State Police Corporal Dustin Kralic watched a black 2001 Toyota Corolla with local plates traveling west on Highway 2 turn left at the Three Mile traffic light onto Highway 95.
Instead of pulling into the nearest lane, the driver drove into the southbound outside lane, prompting Kralic to follow and stop the car for an illegal turn on the North Hill near mile 509.
Once they were stopped, Kralik asked the driver and front seat passenger for ID, and both readily complied, but the gentleman in the back seat said he had no ID, and gave his name as Tyler Joe Fox.
When Kralik asked that man for his Social Security number, the man blanched, and when asked if he had any outstanding warrants, he admitted softly that he was on felony probation for burglary.
After telling those in the car to sit tight, Trooper Kralic returned to his patrol vehicle to call in the stop, and watched as the rear passenger door swung open and "Tyler Joe Fox" scrambled out and up the steep slope, disappearing over the crest heading west in the direction of Hillcrest Road and the Boundary County Landfill.
Because he had two others still in the vehicle, Kralic called for backup, to include a K-9 unit and air support, while he remained with the Toyota. A search of the vehicle turned up a backpack identified as belonging to the backseat passenger, and inside was a small amount of marijuana and some drug paraphernalia.
A number of law enforcement officers responded to Kralic's call, including border patrol agents, city police, Sheriff David Kramer and several sheriff's deputies. Work began to obtain a warrant needed to gain access to the man's cell phone, which could be used to pinpoint his location, while others fanned out to begin the search and establish a perimeter.
As the search was getting underway, a Bonners Ferry Police officer put out word that the man, possibly named Alex, had been picked up hitchhiking earlier on Highway 2.
Based on scanner traffic, at about 3:40 p.m. NewsBF posted to its Facebook page, "There is heavy law enforcement activity in the area of the landfill as officers work to capture a person believed to be a dangerous felon. Avoid the area if at all possible. Those residing in the area should stay inside until the situation is resolved."
Almost immediately, readers began responding, tagging others who presumably live in the area.
"Lock your cars and house doors," one reader advised in tagging a family member.
"I live right here. Please keep us updated!" requested another.
At about 4:33 p.m., a drone with thermal imaging cameras was launched, but the suspect eluded capture. and the scanner fell mostly silent.
At 7:05 p.m., after a call to Sheriff Dave Kramer was returned, NewsBF started a second Facebook thread, posting, "Law enforcement personnel are continuing the search for a man believed to have a nation-wide no-bond felony warrant for his arrest after the individual bailed out of a vehicle sought by Idaho State Police at about 4 p.m. today on the North Hill and has so far evaded those searching the area around the Boundary County Landfill. The man, who has not yet been positively identified, is described as being about 26-years-old, of medium build with a slight beard, wearing blue jeans, light colored shoes, a red t-shirt with a dark long sleeve shirt underneath."
The message was also posted to the NewsBF website, and an email alert was sent out, both advising, "Those who live on the North Hill are advised to remove your keys from all vehicles and lock the doors, and to keep the doors and windows to your home locked. If you see anyone fitting this description, do not attempt to capture him but call the sheriff's office ..."
Again, a wave of people posted, tagging family and friends to let them know of the unfolding situation.
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| Facebook photo |
(After finding what appears to be a series with the same photo in court case file CR-2017-00001188, identified as a dashcam image from an Idaho State Police patrol vehicle, NewsBF requested a copy and was informed that ISP dashcam images are never released to the media for public dissemination while a case is pending.)
At 8:09 p.m., the scanner came alive as dispatch put out word that an employee at the Three Mile Store reported that a man was in the store wearing a red shirt and matching the description of the suspect.
One minute later, at about 8:10 p.m., dispatch advised responding officers that the employee reported the man ran out of the store as law enforcement vehicles approached.
At 8:11 p.m., a Border Patrol agent reported that the man was detained in the parking lot of the business across Highway 95 to the west, and a short time later a city police officer advised dispatch that he was taking the suspect to jail.
According to court documents, Trooper Kralik went to the jail soon after and met the man, now positively identified as Alex A. O'Connor, 26, Coeur d'Alene, and asked him why he'd run.
"Why do you think?" O'Connor replied. "I have a warrant!"
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| Boundary County booking photo, Alex A. O'Connor |
According to the Idaho Court Supreme Court Data Repository, O'Connor has a long criminal history, but one that doesn't show an outward propensity for violence.
Instead, it seems to show a man who should seriously be considering a different career path, as he doesn't appear particularly lucky or adept at a life of crime.
O'Connor was charged as a juvenile for possession of alcohol and an invalid drivers license in 2007, and later admitted to possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of probation violation, again as a minor, in 2008. He was convicted of invalid license in 2010 and for DUI and driving without privileges in 2011.
In 2012, he was again convicted of driving without privileges and for having no insurance, and later for possession of paraphernalia.
In 2015, a charge of petit theft against him was dismissed, as was another case of invalid license, in early 2017, he was again convicted of possession of paraphernalia for a March, 2016, charge.
On April 29, 2016, he was charged in Kootenai County with two counts of burglary, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, possession of stolen property, possession of paraphernalia and resisting or obstructing officers.
One county of burglary was dismissed, the second amended to petit theft before it, too, was dismissed. Charges of possession of a controlled substance and resisting or obstructing officers were also dismissed, and he was found guilty of possession of stolen property and possession of paraphernalia, for which he served 13 days of a year long sentence and had fines of $450 levied.
He was again charged with petit theft January 11, 2017, for which he failed to appear February 1, and he was convicted in May, 2017, on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance, for which he was sentenced to two to five years in prison, and released on probation, which he allegedly violated September 29, leading to a no bond warrant being issued for felony probation violation.
The January petit theft charge is pending.
Now, in addition to the legal woes wrought by his earlier convictions, he has to face that pesky September 29 probation violation charge, as well as brand new charges of resisting and obstructing arrest, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.
He is scheduled to appear before Magistrate Judge Justin Julian for a pretrial hearing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, December 14, and for a jury trial at 9 a.m. Tuesday, December 19. Public defender Serra Wood has been appointed to represent him.