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SALT LAKE CITY — Oregon State Police on Saturday apprehended two suspects in a Park City bank robbery on Friday, which appears to part of a "multistate crime spree of violent criminal activity," according to Oregon authorities.
Two suspects were identified by the Oregon State Police as Matthew Anthony Fanelli, 30, of New Mexico, and Jose Lopez-Jovel, 31, from El Salvador. Both men are being held in county jails in Oregon.
The two men were arrested after a pair of carjacking attempts in Oregon on Saturday night, officials say.
The first occurred about 5:30 p.m. in Roseburg, Oregon. "The suspect or suspects were not able to steal the vehicle and fled in his original vehicle," and Lopez-Jovel was left behind, according to state police. He was taken into custody by the Roseburg Police Department and is being held in the Douglas County Jail on fugitive warrants out of Utah.
Law enforcement officers located the suspect vehicle, which attempted to elude them several times as it traveled south on I-5. During the pursuit, the suspect shot a firearm several times, striking a truck, a passenger car and hitting the occupied child seat inside, and an Oregon State Police patrol car, disabling it, according to Oregon State Police.
The pursuit continued south into Josephine County where law enforcement lost sight of the suspect. The suspect then attempted to carjack another vehicle near a residence in Josephine County, police say.
"The male and female couple were arriving home when the suspect attempted to carjack them. The suspect shot the male and assaulted the female, but was unable to steal their car. The male victim was critically injured and his identity and status will be released at a later date," a state police press release states.
Officers again located the suspect vehicle and the driver again attempted to elude police. The vehicle became disabled and the suspect, identified as Fanelli, was taken into custody. He is being held at the Josephine County Jail for investigation of multiple charges.
According to the Oregon State Police, law enforcement agencies discovered the two suspects were associated with a multistate crime spree of violent criminal activity.
"The related criminal conduct appears to involve one or more persons of interest, so Oregon law enforcement is working with out-of-state and federal partners. As a matter of precaution, citizens along the route of the vehicle chase and associated crime scenes should be vigilant of their surrounding area, hitchhikers and securing of their property," the Oregon State Police press release states.
According to media reports from Colorado and Wyoming, the suspects may be tied to a deadly shooting in Denver and a robbery in Wyoming. The suspects in the Park City robbery were in a 2015 Cadillac sedan with the same license plate number as the one stolen in Denver, authorities say.
A woman was with the suspects during the robberies in Wyoming and Park City. No one was hurt in either robbery.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Oregon State Police dispatch at 1-800-442-2068 and leave a request for contact from detectives working the case.
