Okanogan County convicts caught in Portland, south of Malaga

Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said Christian White, 53, from Rock Island, and Teresa K. Lancaster, 64, of Cashmere, who aided in his escape were apprehended in Portland, Oregon on Jan. 12.

“The U.S. Marshall working with authorities in Portland located White and Lancaster and arrested them,” said Hawley in a media release. “Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office will be working to have both extradited back to Okanogan County.”

White was arrested on a warrant for second degree escape with nationwide extradition, said Hawley. Lancaster was arrested for second degree rendering criminal assistance and criminal conspiracy for her role in assisting the escape of White and Kristofer L. Wittman.

Wittman was apprehended the following day (Jan. 13) near YoYo Rock boat launch in Chelan County.

The U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force out of Yakima and Spokane with assistance from the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia River Drug Task Force, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) apprehended Whitman, said Chelan County Sheriff Brian Burnett in a media release.

U.S. Marshalls received information that Wittman was staying in an abandoned trailer located approximately 1.5 miles south of the pavement on Tarpiscan Road south of Malaga, Burnett said.

“They were able to conduct surveillance on the trailer and a plan was developed to place resources in the area,” said Burnett. “WDFW Officers transported a team to the area by boat on the Columbia River and a team went in on the ground as well with CCSO K9 Asa.”

Wittman was arrested while walking away from his trailer, Burnett said.

“The ground team was positioned to where they were able to intercept him and take him into custody,” said Burnett. “He has been booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center.”