Suspected car thief arrested near Othello

OTHELLO -— A suspected car thief was arrested near Othello over the weekend after allegedly telling Adams County deputies to shoot him.

About 2:15 p.m. on Sunday the Adams County Sheriff’s Department learned of a motor vehicle theft in progress just outside of Othello. The reporting party advised he had spotted his previously reported stolen vehicle, a 2008 Hyundai Elantra with Oregon plates, on South Danielle Road, east of Othello. He said the vehicle, which he had reported as stolen three days prior, was possibly heading toward state Route 26, according to the ACSD.

The driver of the vehicle, later identified as Nathaniel Fleishman, 23, had reportedly been named as a possible suspect when the Othello Police Department received the stolen vehicle report on Dec. 9.

Deputies searched for the Elantra and reportedly located Fleishman walking down a street. He was allegedly immediately hostile and confrontational when he was initially contacted by deputies. He allegedly walked toward the deputies at the scene and started yelling “shoot me, shoot me” and put his hands down near his waist.

A deputy deployed a Taser and Fleishman was taken into custody. Deputies later learned Fleishman had a Department of Corrections warrant out for his arrest and he was booked into the Adams County Jail for the DOC warrant and theft of a motor vehicle.

The stolen Elantra was located alongside an irrigation canal near where Fleishman was taken into custody. The car reportedly went down an embankment and hit some large rocks, which required a tow truck to be sent to the scene and tow the car out, according to the ACSD.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.