By Larry Judkins
Glenn County Observer
Law enforcement officers were not outFoxed.
At about 10:34 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 26, Gerald Rice reported a trespassing at 4067 County Road S, southeast of Orland. He said Tyler Fox arrived uninvited at the residence in a red Nissan pickup truck.
Glenn County Communications said Fox, 28, was the restrained party in a criminal protective order that protected Courtney Rose Spangler, who lives on County Road 8, northwest of Orland, and was at the Road S home.
Fox was also known to have three outstanding Glenn County warrants.
Deputies arrived and contacted Rice, who said Fox and Spangler had left the area together in the red Nissan pickup. The vehicle was last seen turning west onto County Road 24.
California Highway Patrol officers located the pickup and initiated a traffic stop. Fox failed to yield, and a vehicle pursuit ensued.
The vehicles headed to Orland, eventually traveling west on East South Street past Lely Park. At South Street and Papst Avenue, Fox reportedly failed to stop at the stop sign there.
The pursuit never seemed to qualify as a “high-speed chase.” The fastest speed heard on the police scanner was 36 miles per hour on Highway 99.
From South Street, Fox turned north on East Street. When he reached Yolo Street, he came to a full stop, then continued northbound.
He kept going north on East Street all the way to where it becomes Roosevelt Avenue. After Roosevelt completed its semicircle to the west, the vehicles turned right on Suisun Street.
They then turned onto Fourth Street, and shortly thereafter west on Monterey Street. From Monterey, Fox headed north on Sixth Street (Highway 99).
Someplace north of town, probably at some point between the Orland Arch in the south and the Swift Adobe marker in the north, and more likely immediately south of the marker, Fox left Highway 99 and began driving north on the railroad tracks. A moment later, a deputy said they were going northbound toward the creek, just east of the railroad tracks.
Law enforcement officers began plugging some of the more obvious holes where Fox could leave the area. Officers stationed themselves on Roosevelt Avenue near the high school and on Papst Avenue near Bryant Street.
Roughly 10 minutes into the pursuit, a deputy reported they were going through the “rock quarry,” presumably the Orland Sand and Gravel property. Half a minute later, the deputy said Fox had exited the property, and he added that he and the CHP were checking the area south of the property.
Having lost sight of the red pickup, the deputy reported that he and the CHP were now on foot, going toward the creek from the railroad tracks. Another deputy informed them that Fox is currently living in the creek bed near the continuation school off Roosevelt Avenue.
Later, an Orland police officer said that Fox’s encampment is about 200 yards northeast of the school farm.
The deputy and CHP officers on foot in the creek bed were told that Fox had abandoned his pickup and was now on foot. The deputy, Grant Lemmon, said he was going back to the high school (continuation school) to enter the creek from there.
Approximately 25 minutes after the chase began, the CHP’s airplane was in the area. About 40 minutes after the start of the pursuit, Deputy Lemmon said he was “out with the vehicle,” and was about a mile away from his truck.
The CHP pilot suggested everyone start checking encampments (“There are several in the area …”), and he will guide them in. A few minutes later, the pilot told Deputy Lemmon that there were many “encampments to the west of where you are.”
A little more than 50 minutes after the initiation of the chase, it was announced that officers had Fox at gunpoint. A few minutes later, Deputy Lemmon told the CHP pilot, “I don’t think anyone is outstanding. Thank you for the assist.”
The pilot replied, “Any time.”
Spangler was found with Fox at the transient camp at Stony Creek. Spangler said that Fox arrived at the residence on County Road S and begged her to leave with him.
Spangler said she ultimately gave in and got into the vehicle with Fox. Spangler was aware of the restraining order and was not forced into the vehicle.
Fox told deputies he was aware of the restraining order, but he just wanted to spend time with Spangler.
Tyler James Fox was booked into the Glenn County Jail on charges alleging violation of a court order to prevent domestic violence (a misdemeanor), and evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety (a felony), and warrants alleging failure to appear on a felony charge, and failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge. Total bail was set at $104,000.
On Tuesday, Nov. 29, the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office officially charged Fox with evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety (a felony), violation of a court order to prevent domestic violence (a misdemeanor), and driving with a suspended license (a misdemeanor).
At about 6:45 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 25, the day before the chase and creek bed search, in the 100 block of Sixth Street in Orland, an Orland police officer was flagged down by a man who alleged Tyler Fox attempted to steal a Jeep in the area and fled north through an orchard (presumably on foot). Officers searched the area for Fox but were unable to locate him.
Officers also attempted to contact the owner of the Jeep but were unsuccessful.
Two years earlier to the very month, while on routine patrol near the Shady Oaks Trailer Park north of Orland, a deputy stopped a vehicle for expired registration and a defective brake light.
The driver was identified as Tyler Fox. A records check showed Fox’s driver’s license was suspended and he had a warrant for his arrest.
Fox was arrested for the warrant. After further investigation, it was determined the vehicle Fox was driving was reported stolen.
Fox was arrested and transported to the Glenn County Jail for the warrant and vehicle theft.
Listed in the sheriff’s log as an “involved party” in this incident was Courtney Rose Spangler.
In early July of this year, the Glenn County District Attorney’s Office issued a news release that included The People v. Tyler Fox. It stated that the defendant was convicted of corporal injury to a cohabitant (a misdemeanor) and was found in violation of probation on five separate cases.
Fox was sentenced to 231 days in jail, 52 weeks of batterers’ treatment classes, and three years’ probation. Simple mathematics suggest that had Fox been jailed relatively soon after his sentencing, he would have still been in custody when the chase and search occurred on Saturday, Nov. 26.
In January of this year, Deputy Thompson was dispatched to a report of a domestic violence incident that occurred earlier that day outside of Orland. Deputies responded to Glenn Medical Center and contacted Courtney Spangler.
Spangler reported she had been assaulted by her boyfriend, Tyler Fox. The incident had been reported by a witness, but at that time both Spangler and Fox hid from the responding deputies.
A report was taken at GMC, and deputies attempted to find Fox at his last known place of residence, but were unsuccessful.
Back in early 2014, Fox pled no contest to misdemeanor battery against a spouse or cohabitant. And in June of 2019, Fox was the respondent in a domestic violence case where Kelli L. Blauert, Fox’s mother, was the petitioner.
A call by The Glenn County Observer to the Glenn County Jail late Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 29, revealed that Fox was still in custody.
The Glenn County Observer 