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Auto Theft Suspects Found Hiding In Hay Bales At Ontario Farm

Adam Ulrich and Joshua Peerman
Police found Adam Ulrich (l) hiding under several bales of hay stacks at an Ontario dairy farm. His accomplice, Joshua Peerman, was also spotted fleeing from a large pile of hay. (courtesy Ontario PD)

ONTARIO (CBSLA.com) — A pair of suspected car thieves were in custody Friday after a bizarre pursuit that ended after two of them were found hiding in hay bales at a Ontario dairy farm.

KNX 1070's Mike Landa reports the pursuit began on Thursday morning after a white Ford Ranger truck was stolen in Riverside County.

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Officers were dispatched at about 8:00 a.m. to a suspicious activity call occurring at a residence in the 13900 Block of South Haven Avenue, according to Ontario Police Sgt. David McBride.

The victim told police he had tracked his vehicle using GPS to a dairy farm located at the South Haven address. The victim arrived and saw that his vehicle was being stripped by three suspects, one whom he believed was armed with a handgun, McBride said.

When officers arrived on scene, one suspect, 26-year-old Tyler John Ulrich, of Ontario, was quickly detained while two others fled on foot to the rear of the property. One of the suspects commandeered a nearby golf cart for a short period of time and then ran to a nearby large stack of hay bales.

"A second subject ran and actually climbed up on top of a stack of hay or straw that was probably piled two stories high," said McBride.

A tractor was then used to lift officers on top of the haystack, where Adam Alan Ulrich, 23, of Norco, was located and taken into custody without incident.

"He was actually secreted down two, three, maybe four bales deep into the stack, and they utilized the police dog to take him into custody," McBride said.

A third suspect, 28-year-old Joshua Aaron Peerman, of Riverside, was located around 2:40 p.m. while fleeing from a dairy pasture located in the 9000 block of East Edison Avenue.

Residents reported that Peerman was seen fleeing from a large pile of hay. Officers, with the assistance of a police helicopter, quickly responded and located Peerman who was hiding in the bed of a trailer as it was being driven away from the dairy. He was arrested without incident.

Officers determined that Peerman secreted himself deep into a pile of hay that was located nearly 50 yards from the tall hay stack that his accomplice Ulrich hid inside in an attempt to avoid arrest.

Police believe Peerman fled from his hiding place as a dairy worker prepared to dig into the hay pile with a large tractor equipped with forks to pick up the hay.

Tyler and Adam Ulrich - who are brothers - were later booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga for charges of possessing stolen property. Adam Ulrich was also wanted for an outstanding felony warrant issued out of Riverside County for possession of stolen property as well.

Tyler Ulrich, who was originally charged with possession of stolen property, was released from the Ontario Police Department pending further follow up investigation. He was not booked or charged.

Peerman was later booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga for possession of stolen property.

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