Two of Huntsville's most wanted nabbed in Washington state
Posted by Staff July 04, 2007 10:21 PM
OROVILLE, Wash. - A Huntsville man and woman wanted for robbery were captured in Washington.

According to the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office, Justin J. Medders, 25, was arrested Tuesday after a short chase, and Traci A. Hill, 27, was arrested today on her first day of work at a cherry processing facility. The two were featured in Huntsville Crime Stoppers Most Wanted last month.

On Tuesday, after Medders was stopped for speeding, he left his car and ran into a nearby orchard. Okanogan County Sgt. Ernie Gahimer, Oroville Police Chief Randy Wheat and Border Patrol agents arrived in the area to assist in the search. Border Patrol agents with the aid of their tracking K9 were able to track Medders to where they believed he had gotten a ride.

Medders got a ride to Lake Osoyoos where he got out of the car and ran into the lake, deputies said. Apparently as Medders was running to the lake, he ran past a boat and ripped the gas line out of it, hoping it could not be used to pursue him.

While in the lake, he attempted to wave down boats to pick him up. Kinman and Wheat were then contacted by a citizen who said she would take the two of them out to Medders.

The Border Patrol agents and K9 were on the shore still attempting to talk to Medders. He was eventually coaxed to shore and arrested for felony eluding, driving with a suspended license, theft and the Huntsville robbery warrant. He was booked into the Okanogan County Jail.

Meanwhile, an Oroville police clerk found a Crime Stoppers article about the robbery in The Times and noticed Hill's name. The clerk sent the article to Kinman who recognized the name as the same name on a medical release form from North Valley Hospital. The release form was found in Medder's vehicle and was removed when the vehicle was impounded.

Kinman then began checking around and learned Hill was in the Oroville area and was working at the cherry facility at Gold Diggers in Oroville. When deputies arrived at the facility this morning, they were told Hill was there, and it was her first day of work.

Hill was brought to the office where she was placed under arrest for robbery and taken to the Okanogan County Jail.

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2007/07/two ... anted.html