Colorado man arrested after chase and search in Lincoln County

The Nebraska State Patrol SWAT team arrested a Colorado man following a chase and search near Brady.

The incident began at approximately 1:00 p.m. Saturday, when the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a vehicle fire on Interstate 80 near Hershey. A witness reported that the driver of the vehicle was fleeing the scene toward the Interstate Lakes area.

The man was then seen breaking into a pickup truck with a camper in it and stealing it. He then ran over the owner of the pickup truck as he fled in the stolen vehicle. The owner of the pickup truck suffered serious injuries, but they are not believed to be life-threatening.

Lincoln County deputies began a pursuit of the suspect as he fled east on I-80. As the suspect vehicle passed through the North Platte intersections, officers took over the chase. As the suspect fled east, he crossed the median and began driving at a high rate of speed in the westbound lanes of I-80.

Additional units worked to slow westbound traffic to avoid collisions. The suspect nearly struck a westbound police officer and continued driving against traffic for several miles before exiting at the Brady intersection at mile marker 199. At approximately 1:25 p.m., the suspect parked the vehicle in a parking lot. and fled on foot toward a wooded area. . Police and agents arrived at the scene immediately and established a perimeter. The NSP SWAT team was activated.

The North Platte Police Department and the Dawson County Sheriff’s Office also responded to assist. Drones were used to search the area and the NSP Aviation Support Unit also responded. Once officers believed they had an approximate location of the suspect, the NSP SWAT team began a closer search of the area, using a light armored vehicle. An NSP K9 was then able to track the suspect to a muddy area on the edge of a pond. The K9 was used to apprehend the suspect at 7:25 p.m.

The suspect, identified as Abraham Pacheco, 32, of Thornton, Colorado, was transported to Great Plains Health in North Platte for medical clearance and has since been lodged in the Lincoln County Jail on numerous charges. The investigation remains ongoing.