Medford man wanted after armed chase in the Applegate
Jan. 3—The Jackson County Sheriff's Office is asking for tips to find a man who allegedly eluded police from South Medford to the Applegate Lake area over the weekend, and warn that any locals who spot him should treat him as armed and dangerous.
Anthony Ross Minneci, 33, is wanted on warrants accusing him of engaging police in "numerous vehicle pursuits recently," according to a release issued Monday afternoon by the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, along with warrants on multiple pending felony drug cases since 2019.
On Saturday, Minneci allegedly fled sheriff's deputies who attempted to pull him over in South Medford.
During the pursuit, police say he drove through Jacksonville "in a reckless manner" through Jacksonville before ditching his vehicle in the Applegate Lake area and continuing on foot.
A K-9 unit searched for Minneci on Saturday in the Applegate Lake area, but did not locate him. The sheriff's office did, however, find "items of interest" linked to Minneci such as a loaded handgun.
Minneci has multiple felony drug warrants surrounding at least one November 2020 investigation at an Eagle Point residence that involved the multi-agency Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement task force and Jackson County Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team.
During the Eagle Point raid, police allegedly found more than 200 pounds of illicit pot, 1.52 pounds of heroin, nearly a pound of methamphetamine, close to a pound of prescription Xanax pills, half an ounce of cocaine and roughly 18 illicit weapons that included a gun silencer and a grenade launcher, according to news report at the time.
Minneci has felony convictions as far back as 2008, when he was convicted of third-degree assault for an2007 impaired driving crash near the Rogue Valley Country Club that left another motorist with a broken hand and collarbone, according to court records and the earlier news report.
Police urge anyone who sees Minneci not to approach him or attempt to apprehend him.
Anyone with knowledge of Minneci's whereabouts is asked to call Jackson County Sheriff's Office dispatchers at 541-776-7206 and reference case No. 22-0010.
Reach web editor Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or nmorgan@rosebudmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MTwebeditor.
