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Two men were taken into custody after a traffic stop in River Falls led to a search of one man who fled the scene.

At approximately 8:53 p.m. Saturday, a Covington County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a Pontiac vehicle committing multiple traffic infractions. The vehicle was stopped at the intersection of Hwy. 84 and Plywood Mill Road and River Falls Police was called to assist at the scene.

The deputy initiated contact with the driver of the vehicle and learned that he had four felony warrants in various counties in Alabama. Jason Bret Colburn, 48, was taken into custody at the scene and was booked into the Covington County Jail to be held for another agency to pick up.

It was also determined that the plate on the vehicle was actually registered to a U-Haul, which meant the vehicle had to be towed. Two passengers in the vehicle were asked to exit at which point one of those passengers, a Hispanic male, later identified as Jorge Estuardo, 24, fled into a wooded area off Guy Avenue, leading to a foot pursuit.

The CCSO’s K9 tracking team and drone personnel were brought to the area to assist in the search while a perimeter was established around the area.

“A large law enforcement presence was visible throughout the area of Covington Street and Gantt Road,” said River Falls Police Chief Marcus Laster. “Several hours into the tracking effort, limited progress had been made. However, during the morning hours, K9 handlers Greg Palmer and Opie Dauphin heard cries for help emanating from a wooded area behind River Falls Baptist Church.”

After discussing a plan to enter the area where the calls came from, Palmer, Dauphin, Laster and Deputy Joshua Sullivant began moving toward the sound. Ultimately, the group found Estuardo in a tree above a pond.

Laster said Estuardo was wet and thinks he may had fallen into the pond at some point. The temperature that night fell into the 30s. He was taken into custody at approximately 3:45 a.m. and charged with attempting to elude.

“He was soaking wet and shivering when we found him,” Laster said.

Estuardo was brought out of the woods and was checked by Advanced EMS and placed in the Covington County Jail.

Upon interviewing Estuardo with the assistance of a translator, it was learned that he fled due to fears of being deported.

“Once he warmed up and we were able to communicate through a translator, he was very nice. Basically, he thought we were ICE and didn’t want to be deported,” Laster said.

“The way ICE is operating, if you don’t commit a crime, we don’t call them. If they have committed a crime, it is up to ICE whether the person is deported or not,” Laster said.

After the incident, ICE was contacted regarding Estuardo.

“We appreciate the efforts of the tracking team and posse as well as those who assisted to ensure our community and the gentleman who fled were safe,” Laster said. “You never know why people run. Most people who run do it because they have a warrant and could be a danger to the community.”