TOKELAND — It is nearly impossible to hide from a thermal camera, and a man who fled from an officer at the Shoalwater Bay Police Department (SBPD) learned that the hard way.

Hours after fleeing, the man, who thought he had evaded capture, was caught in a stinky hideout.

The suspect was identified as Ellis L.A. Cleveland, 25, a convicted felon.

On Feb. 8 at 10:03 p.m., SBPD Officer Shane Frank pulled over a vehicle after catching it on radar traveling 47 mph in a 35 mph zone. The vehicle initially pulled over, and the driver provided Frank with what turned out to be a false name.

“After I wrote down the name Cleveland provided, I told him to ‘sit tight’ and started walking back to my vehicle,” Frank said in court documents. “While walking back to my vehicle, I heard Cleveland rev the engine of his vehicle and take off from the traffic stop. I got into my patrol vehicle and told dispatch the vehicle took off from the stop, and I would be pursuing and to tell my supervisor.”

“While I was pursuing Cleveland, I reached speeds of 90 mph and was unable to close the distance between our vehicles. At approximately mile post 20, I lost sight of Cleveland’s vehicle and was coming around a corner and noticed a vehicle’s taillights in a pull-off area that I assumed was Cleveland. I passed by the vehicle thinking he pulled out to turn around to lose me,” Frank added.

According to radio traffic, Frank alerted the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office, Raymond Police Department, South Bend Police Department and Washington State Patrol that the vehicle was likely fleeing toward Raymond.

Multiple units staged in the Riverdale region of Raymond prepared spikes to intercept Cleveland, and PCSO units were spotted commuting toward Tokeland. At 10:09 p.m., PacCom advised the units that the Grays Harbor 911 Communications Center had transferred a call of a vehicle crash on SR 105 near Alexson Road in Grayland.

“When I arrived, I noticed the same vehicle that fled from me approximately 50 feet off the road in a small creek,” Frank said. “The vehicle apparently lost control coming around a corner and hit a fence and drove through a guardrail into the creek. I noticed two parked vehicles on Alexson Road and multiple people looking at the vehicle in the creek.”

“[Then] I was introduced to the passenger of the vehicle, later identified as Voushon G.T. Jones. Jones told me he was the passenger, and he did not know his brother, Cleveland, was going to take off like that,” Frank added.

Cleveland reportedly told his brother he took off because his license “was suspended and he was scared of being in trouble.” Jones was reportedly struck hard by an airbag in the vehicle and was evaluated by the South Bend Regional Fire Authority.

According to court documents, Frank along with the PCSO and WSP began searching the area for Cleveland, who had fled on foot. The units were able to find footprints and caught a break after a resident in the area located Cleveland.

“After searching the immediate area for Cleveland one of the witnesses told the state trooper that one of the neighbors has Cleveland on a thermal camera near the [1200 Block] of Lindgren Rd.,” Frank said.

The units converged on the area and located Cleveland held up inside a porta-potty, unaware he could hide from the units but not the camera.

“Cleveland came out [willingly], with his hands up and dropped to his knees as ordered,” Frank said. “I was able to place Cleveland in handcuffs and walked him to my patrol vehicle to perform a search incident to arrest.”

Cleveland was placed in the patrol vehicle and transported by Frank to the Pacific County Jail for multiple felony charges.

According to court documents, the WSP trooper later informed Frank that they “found a loaded Sig P365 9mm pistol in-between the front seat in reach of the driver” after the vehicle was removed from the stream and searched.

He is currently charged with attempting to elude law enforcement, making a false statement to law enforcement, first-degree driving with a suspended license, and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

His bail was set at $50,000 during a preliminary hearing on Feb. 9 in Pacific County Superior Court, which he posted at approximately 5:34 p.m.