Tri-Cities child abuse suspect arrested 260 miles away after crashing during police chase

A Kennewick child molestation suspect allegedly fled hundreds of miles before being arrested Monday in the middle of Oregon.

Jose Luis Guarnizo Guzman, 35, headed to Oregon Monday after being confronted about the abuse allegations before police got involved, Kennewick police said in a Facebook post.

Detectives worked with Benton County prosecutors Monday to get $1 million national arrest warrant issued for him on charges of second-degree child molestation.

They found Guarnizo Guzman in Oregon with the help of the FBI, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police but he fled to a rural area in Central Oregon before crashing his car near Hines, Ore.

He was booked into the Harney County Jail in Burns for attempting to elude police and reckless driving. It’s not clear if he will face charges in Oregon before being returned to Tri-Cities about 260 miles to the north.

It took less than a day to find Guarnizo Guzman from the point of the initial report, Kennewick police said.

Police are continuing to investigate the case and are asking anyone with helpful information to contact police through the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333. Anonymous tips can be shared through kpdtips.com.