GPS tracking leads to arrest in Cottage Grove

COTTAGE GROVE – Shortly after 1:30 p.m. on March 25, Lane County Sheriff’s deputies tracked a stolen vehicle – a Scion xB SUV – from a Portland business. The vehicle’s owner was monitoring its location via GPS. A deputy spotted the SUV north of Cottage Grove and initiated a traffic stop. However, the driver fled, leading the deputy to halt the pursuit while continuing to follow the vehicle’s GPS signal. The suspect crashed the vehicle at N. 9th Street and W. Woodson Place. Upon arrival, the deputy received help from witnesses, who directed him toward the suspect’s escape route. The driver, Austin Taylor Williams, 28, of Portland, was arrested shortly after the crash.