A man and a woman in an RV were arrested Thursday morning after they led police on a pursuit that began in Mission Bay and ended in Orange County.
The duo's tan 1985 Chevrolet/Coachmen motorhome was in the process of being towed from a parking lot on North Mission Bay Drive near De Anza Cove Park at around 4 a.m. when the driver, now identified by as James Bruce Golden, 61, suddenly took off.
Golden led police on a chase along northbound Interstate 5, into San Clemente. Police used a spike strip near La Costa Canyon Road to stop the vehicle and that eventually disabled the two front tires, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said.
As the motorhome neared Oceanside Boulevard, the tired had deteriorated and Golden was driving on metal rims, causing sparks on the freeway, the CHP said.
Golden continued to drive between 55 and 75 mph on the two front rims. Just before 4:45 a.m., the RV slowed and stopped off I-5, south of Avenida Magdalena.
Then, a standoff ensued.
The CHP said Golden and his passenger refused to exit the RV at first. After 20 minutes of negotiating with officers, Golden and the passenger got out of the motorhome. They were arrested at the scene.
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The unidentified passenger was released and not charged, the CHP said. Two dogs found inside the RV were turned over to her.
Golden complained of chest pain and was taken to Mission Hospital in Orange County. Officials said he will face felony charges of evading and driving under the influence of drugs.
At the end of the pursuit, NBC 7 spoke briefly with the passenger who claimed the RV was being towed from Mission Bay because they hadn't filed the proper paperwork for it.
NBC 7 spoke to a witness in Mission Bay who said she knows Golden. She and her boyfriend had once helped him get a new battery for his motorhome.
The witness, who did not want to be identified, told NBC 7 she and her boyfriend followed the pursuit for a short time until they passed a construction zone, then stopped following.
No one was hurt in the pursuit.
