A probationer was at large Friday after eluding sheriff’s deputies pursuing him for allegedly stealing a car with his girlfriend, who was taken into custody.
Nathan James Seegrist, 21, and Heather Lynn Botts, 31, both of Norco, were parked in a stolen car in the 7400 block of Morning Hills Road, near Eleanor Roosevelt High School, when Riverside County sheriff’s deputies encountered them about 5:45 p.m. Thursday, according to Sgt. Robert Christolon.
He said deputies recognized Seegrist as a convicted felon with an outstanding warrant for alleged auto theft and attempted to detain him.
Both Seegrist and Botts fled from the stolen car, though Botts was quickly arrested by deputies, Christolon said.
However, Seegrist evaded patrolmen, and a SWAT unit, along with K9 units and a sheriff’s helicopter crew, were summoned to find him, according to the sergeant. Despite the intense search, the probationer could not be located.
Botts was booked into the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning on suspicion of identity theft. According to court records, she has prior convictions for illegal cultivation of marijuana and driving under the influence.
Seegrist has unresolved charges for auto theft and grand theft and has been sought by law enforcement since April, records show.