Tuesday night unsuccessful pursuit of Obregon started in Racine County

Sheriff David Beth

Note: Extensive updates made as of 10:34 p.m. Story moved to top of page. — DH

A pursuit of Andrew Obregon, a suspect in the homicide of Tywon Anderson, on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning started after a Racine County deputy spotted the fugitive in Racine County.

Obregon was seen by a Racine County sheriff’s deputy in an industrial park along Highway 11, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said at a press conference Wednesday evening. Obregon appeared to be working on a Dodge Ram white, dual rear wheel pick-up truck.

Andrew Obregon /Photo supplied by Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department

Obregon fled into Kenosha County.

“And once again the chase ended up near Andrew Obregon’s home in the town of Brighton,” Beth said.

Ultimately, deputies lost sight of Obregon and he is still at large.

“He knows the paths and the tractor roads very well,” Beth explained as to why it has been so difficult to find Obregon. “He knows these farm fields, these back roads really, really, well … He always goes and returns to farms he knows. He’s turning down these roads and we use extreme caution in this. For one deputy sheriff or one police officer to travel down a road all by himself, we would wait, wait and circle the area and try to locate him. He drove down a dirt road that he’s probably drove down hundreds of times before. And when he did that, he turned off his lights and drove behind some buildings. The deputy slowed down to wait for other squads to get there and what (Obregon) he did was drive around tall corn, drive around tall weeds and around buildings with his lights off because he knew the” way until he could exit on to a road and leave the area.

“We have not located Andrew Obregon yet,” Beth said. “We are searching diligently. We are as frustrated as can be to have not caught him.”

Beth also addressed two gunshots heard by deputies pursuing Obregon Tuesday night. They are believed to have come from someone who had heard Obregon was near their property. The shots were fired into the air by the resident as a warning to scare off Obregon, Beth said.

Thermal imaging cameras mounted in a police helicopter also have been employed. But Beth said they have limited functionality inside buildings and even if a subject is under trees.

Beth said his department is prepared to continue to make huge efforts to catch Obregon.

“They’re going to saturate the area tonight until we catch him,” Beth said.

However the department is reaching some practical limits in continuing to mass so much manpower.

“We are at the point that our officers are very tired,” Beth said. The Racine County Sheriff’s Department has been helping and the Kenosha Police Department has sent its entire gang unit to assist, Beth added.

The KCSD is expected to “hit it very hard” to find Obregon over the next few days. After that the Walworth County Sheriff may be supplying some relief personnel.

The KCSD will not have to reimburse for personnel and equipment from other departments used on this case because the help is considered mutual aid.

Initially Obregon was a person of interest in the Anderson death, but Beth said Tuesday that Obregon is now a suspect.

The Sheriff’s Department has been searching intensely for Obregon since Friday, when he led deputies on a 100-mph plus chase through Paris and across the Racine County Line.

Saturday night, Beth said, Obregon is believed to have broken into a Bristol convenience store and robbed another convenience store near I-94 and Highway 50. Deputies pursued him, but Obregon crashed and abandoned a vehicle he was driving and stole another vehicle about a mile away and eluded efforts to catch him again.

Here is video of the press conference: