Man faces 700 years in prison for thefts, pursuit, shootout with Stanislaus deputies
A man faces 700 years in prison for a crime spree more than a year ago that ended in a shootout with Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Jason Benson Dingler, 45, stole a gun, a car and then a beer before leading law enforcement on an 11-mile pursuit. Dingler’s potential centuries-long sentence is because he had at least two felony convictions prior to his spree. That qualifies him for California’s three-strikes law, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
“No plea deals were offered to Dingler pursuant to District Attorney Jeff Laugero’s policy not to negotiate with career criminals charged with violent crimes,” reads a press release from the DA’s Office.
In September 2023, the Merced County man broke into a home on the 3500 block of West Keyes Road in Keyes and stole a handgun. Dingler then used the gun to carjack a pickup truck on the 5100 block of Muncy Road in Modesto. A few minutes later, Dingler walked into the One Stop Market in Grayson with the gun holstered on his hip and stole a beer.
A California Highway Patrol officer located the stolen truck traveling south on Highway 33. When multiple deputies arrived to assist in stopping the pickup, Dingler would not pull over, instead leading them on a pursuit.
With a Sheriff’s Office helicopter overhead, Dingler continued to flee on Highway 33, reaching speeds of up to 95 mph. During the pursuit, Dingler sideswiped a car, causing the pickup to crash at the edge of an orchard near Patterson.
Dingler fled on foot into the orchard, where he shot at deputies multiple times. A Sheriff’s Office helicopter gave updates to deputies as Dingler moved through the orchard, including lying on the ground, shooting at deputies again and striking a patrol car. For several minutes, he could be seen with a gun in his hand and moving closer to the deputies.
Two deputies then shot at Dingler. Footage from the scene showed Dingler saying he was shot in the stomach. He was taken to a hospital for treatment. No one else was injured.
Dingler was convicted of five counts of attempted premeditated murder of a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm, carjacking, robbery and other related charges. He is scheduled to be sentenced May 1 at the Stanislaus County Superior Courthouse. Deputy District Attorney Larissa Jones prosecuted the case.
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 1:47 PM.
