Two-county police chase ends with Gilliam County Officer making arrest near Arlington

Photo coutesy the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office.

The Dalles, Ore., Nov. 21, 2025 — A 20-mile high-speed chase on Interstate 84 near Arlington late Thursday followed an earlier escape from an Oregon State Trooper on Interstate 82 in Umatilla County, according to the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident began around 7:44 p.m. on Nov. 20, when Frontier Regional 911 notified area agencies that a vehicle had fled from an Oregon State Trooper on I-82 near milepost 7 in Umatilla County. The trooper had been attempting to take the driver into custody for a violation of a restraining order when the offender allegedly resisted arrest, broke free from the trooper’s grasp and left the scene at a high rate of speed.

At about 8 p.m., deputies with the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office located the suspect vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 84 near Arlington. After confirming the vehicle was involved in the Hermiston-area incident, a deputy attempted a traffic stop. The driver again fled, leading deputies on a pursuit spanning more than 20 miles along the interstate.

The chase ended at about 8:08 p.m., when the driver pulled onto the shoulder of I-84 and surrendered without further incident. The 22-year-old Seattle man, identified as James Trujillo, was taken into custody on allegations of Attempt to Elude (Vehicle), Violation of a Restraining Order, Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangering. Additional charges are expected, according to the release.

Trujillo remained in custody at NORCOR jail in The Dalles this morning.

A key portion of the sheriff’s release emphasized the breadth of the response.

“We are grateful this situation ended peacefully and commend the teamwork displayed by our agency partners…,” the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office press release stated. “Each agency played a vital role in ensuring the offender was safely apprehended and held accountable.”

Agencies across both Oregon and Washington were involved in tracking communications, coordinating the pursuit and maintaining coverage across multiple jurisdictions. Those partners included Frontier Regional 911, Klickitat County 911 Dispatch / Emergency Management, Sherman County Sheriff’s Office, Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol.