PR man faces host of charges

COEUR d’ALENE — The 22-year-old Priest River man who allegedly shot at law enforcement officers at least twice during a high-speed chase in December now faces eight felony charges, including attempted murder.

Dillen Endres is being charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of grand theft, eluding a peace officer, arson, destruction of evidence, and burglary. Endres’ initial appearance in court was on Dec. 6, before the law enforcement investigation was completed.

“Charges were added based on additional investigative information provided to our office,” said Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh.

In a written affidavit, Idaho State Police Detective Gary Tolleson said that his agency was called approximately 3 a.m. on Dec. 5 to assist other law enforcement agencies in finding a suspect in the northern part of the county.

Tolleson wrote that two law enforcement officials attempted to pull over a vehicle in Spirit Lake for a traffic violation. The 1999 Ford Explorer, with Oregon license plates and allegedly driven by Endres, did not stop and a pursuit began.

“The driver of the vehicle shot at the officers on two separate occasions while evading and refusing to stop,” Tolleson wrote.

Eventually the vehicle drove onto Good Hope Road in Athol, and the driver continued to evade police until the vehicle collided with a residential structure.

“The collision started a fire which consumed the interior of the Ford Explorer as well as a small wooden shed it struck,” Tolleson wrote.

After the crash, the driver set off on foot into a heavily wooded area through a small creek “locally known as Sage Creek.”

Law enforcement personnel set up a perimeter around the area and began searching for the suspect.

Endres allegedly attempted to leave the area in a stolen 1996 Subaru station wagon, telling an officer who questioned him that he was trying to go to work at WinCo. When he was told he could not drive on the road due to law enforcement activity, Endres allegedly parked the car and was later apprehended by SWAT officers when he approached them on foot.

Endres is scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on Jan. 16. He initially refused legal counsel, but will now be represented by Megan Marshall with the Kootenai County Public Defender’s Office.