Three-day search ends with two arrests

Friday, Nov. 26, 1999 | 9 a.m.

"It's clearly quite a relief," Sparks Police Chief John Dotson said. "We're extremely fortunate, and it's been a lot of hard work."

That work culminated in a three-hour standoff with one of the men outside a Sparks motel. Officers finally lobbed tear gas shells into three units and arrested William Jorgensen, 38.

It took officers wearing gas masks several minutes to find Jorgensen, who had crawled through the attic into another room and was cowering under a blanket by an ice machine.

"Because of his history of violence, we decided to have the SWAT team help with the arrest," Sparks police Lt. Ken Lightfoot said.

As officers besieged the motel Wednesday evening, other Sparks detectives were arresting Darion Mulka, 28, at the construction site where he worked.

He was booked into the Washoe County Jail on suspicion of robbery with a deadly weapon and kidnapping. He also is wanted in Oregon for a parole violation.

Police said the search began late Sunday after Jorgensen and Mulka robbed a man and woman in their car in a Sparks park. Later, Jorgensen allegedly drove the 18-year-old woman to a remote area near Lockwood and sexually assaulted her.

A Sparks officer approached the car, but the suspect tried to run over him. The officer fired several shots as the suspect ran away.

Jorgensen underwent surgery Thursday for gunshot wounds to the right arm and leg, Lightfoot said.

Dotson said the victims of the carjacking picked Jorgensen out of a photo lineup before SWAT teams were sent to the motel room. Police are trying to find out how Jorgensen eluded them.

Jorgensen was arrested in Reno for a car burglary and is awaiting a court hearing in that case. He also was charged with resisting arrest in that incident after running from officers.