CLEAR LAKE — A Phoenix man allegedly led Northern Iowa law enforcement on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle Friday, August 21, 2026, before crashing into a vehicle towing a boat, fleeing into a cornfield and eventually being found hiding in a creek several hours later.
The Clear Lake Police Department said officers arrested Evelio Angulo Gomez, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, at about 6:30 p.m. following the extensive search near Interstate 35.
The incident began around 2 p.m. when Clear Lake police were notified that a stolen vehicle was traveling southbound on I-35 after crossing the Minnesota-Iowa border.
Clear Lake officers spotted the vehicle on the interstate within the city and attempted to make a traffic stop.
Police say the driver instead took off southbound at a high rate of speed.
The pursuit continued to Exit 188, where the fleeing vehicle left I-35. At the top of the exit ramp, authorities say the stolen vehicle collided with another vehicle that was towing a boat.
No injuries were reported in the crash.
The driver then allegedly jumped from the stolen vehicle and ran into a nearby cornfield, touching off a large search involving multiple law enforcement agencies, drones and an Iowa State Patrol aircraft.
Officers searched the area for several hours.
At approximately 6:27 p.m., authorities located Gomez in a creek not far from the crash scene and took him into custody.
Gomez (pictured at top) was transported to the Cerro Gordo County Jail.
Clear Lake police said he faces the following charges:
- Possession of stolen property
- Eluding
- Interference with official acts
- No valid driver’s license
- Failure to maintain control
- Speeding
The Clear Lake Police Department was assisted by the Clear Lake Fire Department’s drone program, the Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Patrol Air Wing, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office and Rockwell Police Department.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation. Gomez is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.