On Wednesday, November 22, 2023 a Lincoln City Police Officer spotted 30-year-old Nicolette Heslen AKA Nicolette Dryke of Newport, Oregon, walking in the 800 block of SE Hwy 101. The Officer was aware there was an active felony warrant for Heslen’s arrest issued out of the Oregon State Parole Board for Absconding. The Officer attempted to contact and arrest her, but she fled on foot and was not located.
On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, Lincoln City Police responded to a disturbance occurring in the south Subway located in the south 300 block of Hwy 101. The suspect creating the disturbance was reportedly damaging store property and a parked vehicle. The suspect fled the scene just prior to officers’ arrival, but was determined to be Nicolette Heslen (AKA Dryke). Heslen has a known history of assaulting officers and resisting arrest.
LCPD Officers, along with Lincoln County Sheriff’s Deputies, quickly set up a perimeter in the area and LCPD K-9 Nato and LCSO K-9 Ghost were deployed. The two K-9 teams began converging on the thick, wooded area around SE 3rd Street near Hwy 101. K-9 Nato began alerting in an area overgrown with thick, dense brush and thorny berry bramble. The K-9 Officer could hear the suspect push through the brush, and he began yelling warnings ordering her to surrender because the K-9s were deployed and she could be bitten. She did not comply and continued to make her way through the thick brush and eventually tried to hide in the thick brush near a small creek. Both of the K-9s converged on her last known location and once she realized she was not going to avoid capture, she surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody without further incident.
Heslen was subsequently transported to the Lincoln County Jail where she was lodged on the following charges: Escape III x2, Criminal Mischief II, Disorderly Conduct II and her Felony Parole Violation Warrant. The Lincoln City police thanked the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and K-9 Team for their assistance. This incident highlights the importance of having the K-9 teams available in Lincoln City and Lincoln County, which allow law enforcement to quickly locate and safely take wanted persons into custody. The Lincoln City Police are grateful for the incredible community support that allowed implementation of the K-9 program.
