A Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy is being credited for locating a stolen SUV and arresting the driver last Thursday afternoon, in Council Bluffs. The Sheriff’s Department reports Deputy Eric Hempel was on routine patrol at around 2:30-p.m. on the Avenue G viaduct, when he noticed a GMC Yukon pass his vehicle. The deputy ran the license plate and learned the SUV had been reported stolen. He tried to stop the vehicle driven by 23-year old Marcus Allen Holstein, of Council Bluffs, but Holstein tried to evade the deputy by turning into an alley and then onto a street, with speeds reaching 80-miles per hour at times.

The deputy discontinued pursuit due to the risk to persons in a residential area. He later noticed the same SUV parked next to a gas pump at the Kwik Shop located at 36th and Avenue G. After he pulled in front of the vehicle, he saw Holstein get inside and attempt to put the vehicle in gear.

Deputy Hempel jumped on the SUV’s running board and reached through the driver’s side window to stop Holstein from leaving. A search of Holstein’s pockets revealed a small baggie of Meth hidden inside a flash light. The suspect was placed under arrest and brought to the Pott. County Jail, where he was charged with 2nd Degree Theft, Felony Eluding, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and for being a convicted felon escaping from custody.