Lake County >> Speeds reportedly reached an excess of 100 mph during a chase involving a stolen vehicle Thursday night. The driver was arrested and booked, but not before attempting to escape once while in police custody.
The Clearlake Police Department (CPD) was initially tipped off at 9 p.m. Thursday regarding the whereabouts of a 1999 Acura by its owner Charles Sells, who filed it as stolen with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) on Wednesday. Sells said he saw his the car in the area of Boyles Avenue and 25th Avenue. Officers responded, but did not find the vehicle at the time, CPD Lt. TIm Celli stated.
It was at about 10:19 p.m. when Clearlake officer Elvis Cook spotted an Acura around Lakeshore Drive near Old Highway 53. He ran the plates and confirmed it was Sell’s car.
The driver allegedly ignored Cook’s command to stop, leading the officer on a high-speed pursuit. CPD and Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) deputies joined the chase, which stretched over 27 miles from Clearlake to Lower Lake, to Clearlake Oaks and finally back to Clearlake.
Speeds during the chase were sometimes in excess of 100 mph, Celli stated, and the suspect drove the vehicle in the opposing lane of traffic several times during the chase. Officers tried to deploy a spike strip, but were unsuccessful due to the high speeds and erratic driving.
Traveling at an estimated speed of 90 mph on Old Highway 53, the suspect entered the residential area of the “Village” and “Highlands Harbor,” Celli stated. The chase ended when the suspect lost control and crashed into a tree attempting to make a turn onto Airport Road.
Officers used high-risk car stop techniques to detain two subjects in the vehicle.
The driver was identified as Mario Mirabella, 24, of Clearlake. Mirabella was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine after he was taken into custody. The passenger was identified and later released without charges after the investigation determined he didn’t commit any provable crime. Mirabella was charged with several felonies including possession of a stolen vehicle, felony evading, evading while going the wrong direction and possession of a controlled substance.
He was transported to St. Helena Hospital, Clear Lake for precautionary reasons.
While at the hospital, Mirabella allegedly tried to escape from the officer by trying to run out of the doors without success, Celli stated. Mirabella was later cleared at the hospital for incarceration and booked into the Lake County Hill Road Jail with an additional charge of attempting to escape with a bail of $35,000.
“We would like to thank the Lake County Sheriff’s Department for their assistance. In addition, we are very thankful that this pursuit ended without anyone being hurt,” Celli said.
