A search south of Big Pine concluded Sunday night with the arrest of Lane Turner, after an Inyo County Sheriff’s Office K9 successfully tracked him for approximately three-quarters of a mile from an abandoned motorcycle. The incident, which involved a high-speed motorcycle chase that began on U.S. Highway 395, led to Turner being taken into custody and booked into the Inyo County Jail.
The pursuit initiated at approximately 9:41 p.m. on October 4, when Sheriff’s Office personnel attempted to stop a motorcycle traveling on U.S. Highway 395, south of the community of Big Pine. Rather than complying, the rider continued to evade law enforcement. The motorcycle reportedly reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour during the attempt to flee. The rider then maneuvered the motorcycle off the main highway and onto dirt roads, further complicating the pursuit. Deputies ultimately made the decision to cease their active pursuit of the motorcycle due to deteriorating road conditions and significantly poor visibility, which combined to create an unsafe environment for continuation.
Law enforcement personnel later located the motorcycle near a barbed-wire fence. It appeared the vehicle had crashed at this location. By the time deputies reached the scene, the motorcycle's rider was no longer present. Authorities subsequently determined that the motorcycle had been previously reported as stolen, adding another dimension to the incident.
Following the discovery of the abandoned and crashed motorcycle, a coordinated effort began to locate the absent rider. Personnel from several local and regional agencies converged on the area to assist the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office. These agencies included the Bishop Police Department, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office, the California Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Land Management. Together, these teams established a perimeter around the search area. An Inyo Sheriff’s K9 was then deployed to track the suspect from the site where the motorcycle was found. The K9 demonstrated its capability by following the trail through approximately three-quarters of a mile of the surrounding terrain. This persistent tracking by the K9 ultimately led law enforcement directly to the suspect, who was identified as Lane Turner.
Upon being located by the K9 and law enforcement, Turner was taken into custody. He was subsequently transported and booked into the Inyo County Jail on the following charges, as stated by the Sheriff’s Office. It is important to note that, consistent with legal principles, Turner is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement extending its gratitude to all the responding agencies for their integral roles in the search and apprehension. The Sheriff’s Office specifically highlighted the effectiveness and value of local interagency partnerships within the community, underscoring how collaborative efforts contribute to successful outcomes in public safety operations. Furthermore, the Sheriff’s Office took the opportunity to point to the significant usefulness of its K9 program. This incident near Big Pine marks another successful deployment, following a previous instance just last month where a Sheriff’s K9 also played a crucial role in apprehending a suspect involved in a shooting case in Olancha, further demonstrating the program's vital contribution to law enforcement efforts across Inyo County.
