Convicted Tri-Cities sex offender arrested after 30-mile chase into Oregon

A 57-year-old Richland man who has been a registered sex offender for over 10 years is accused of raping a woman in a rural park and then leading police on a chase across the state line.

Timothy Hounshell of Richland allegedly raped a woman in a car on May 29 in Hover Park near Finley, according to a Benton County Sheriff’s Office news release on June 4.

The woman escaped and called 911.

When officers arrived in the area, they spotted Hounshell’s vehicle speeding away along dirt access roads, the sheriff’s release said.

Hounshell allegedly refused to pull over, leading deputies on a 30-mile chase along Highway 397, then to Interstate 82 and into Oregon.

Officers with the Washington State Patrol, Oregon State Police and the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office took over the chase when he crossed the state line, said the release.

Police eventually were able to force the car to stop, and Hounshell was arrested on investigation of reckless endangerment, reckless driving and attempting to elude police. He’s currently being held in the Umatilla County jail, with bail set at $150,000.

A $1 million nationwide arrest warrant has been issued to return him to Benton County Superior Court on charges of first-degree rape while armed with a deadly weapon.

Hounshell has been a registered sex offender since 2013 when he was convicted of second-degree rape. He also has a 2022 conviction for failing to register as a sex offender.