Fugitive found at Nebraska lake after being mistaken for a dead body

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office says an emergency call described as a double fatality on Saturday turned out very differently.

Law enforcement found two men lying in the middle of the road near a wrecked vehicle when they arrived at Ironhorse Lake — but they weren’t dead.

Authorities say they were taken to a hospital to be treated for excessive alcohol and drug consumption, and that’s when one of the men was identified as a felon out of Utah.

Ronald Nalepa previously pleaded guilty to a stabbing in the city of Logan in 2020.

He’s also been accused of other stabbings and assaults in Oregon, California and Nevada.

Authorities say Nalepa began fighting with hospital staff while recovering, but he eventually calmed down and mentioned how much he likes the Pawnee County area.

They say he had settled in the area while hiding from law enforcement.

And the sheriff’s office said Nalepa “plans to move here once his prison term is up.”