Repeat offender leads cops on chase around Tahoe

Updated: Oct. 16, 2010, 8:17pm.

By Kathryn Reed

It wasn’t the typical leisurely drive around Lake Tahoe Friday afternoon. Instead, Mario Amial, 21, of South Lake Tahoe had a bevy of law enforcement following his white Chevy Suburban.

The high-speed chase started at 1:32pm in South Lake Tahoe near the Springwood area and ended in Kings Beach with Amial’s arrest by California Highway Patrol officers about 45 minutes later.

Mario Amial

South Lake Tahoe police Lt. Marty Hale said Amial was wanted on two felony warrants.

Amial had been arrested in South Lake Tahoe in August 2009 with two others on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism and participating in a criminal street gang.

When he was 19 he was arrested on trespassing charges when he was found in his 16-year-old girlfriend’s bed in Carson Valley.

CHP put down spike strips that flattened one tire, but Amial kept driving on the rim. The second spike strip flattened all the tires.

The passengers arrested were Joshua Hawthorn, 27, and Kelsey Sierakowski, 19, both of South Lake Tahoe. South Tahoe police Sgt. Shannon Laney said officers have been familiar with Hawthorn since 2006 and Kelsey back to 2004.

The suspects reportedly threw methamphetamine out the car window. The three were booked into Placer County jail.

CHP on Friday night would not give further details of the incident.