Bail set at $151,853 for David Gomez

Bail was set at $151,843 for David Gomez who reportedly led deputies on a high-speed chase at Lake Tahoe after he walked away from an in-patient drug treatment facility in Stateline.

Gomez, 26, of Bodie Flats, was awaiting pickup at Sierra Recovery Center on Aug. 21 by Chief Probation Officer Doug Swalm after he was terminated from the program for rule violations.

He reportedly left the facility three times to go to fast-food restaurants.

On his way to return Gomez to Douglas County Jail, Swalm said he spotted the suspect at a bus stop near the center, but he fled into the forest.

At 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 22, two Douglas County deputies were westbound on Highway 50 when they observed an older blue van traveling eastbound with a broken right headlight.

The deputies stopped the vehicle just west of the Zephyr Cove Campground.

The driver, Gomez, gave the deputies a false name and was unable to provide any identity, according to reports. He refused to exit the locked vehicle as he talked on a cell phone.

The deputies requested a backup unit from Carson Valley.

Gomez sped from the scene nearly hitting the two deputies. Both officers told investigators they believed the driver intentionally tried to hit them, and would have if they hadn't jumped out of the way.

Gomez led the officers on a chase in excess of 70 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone.

Officers set up spike strips to intercept the van and the vehicle continued another quarter-mile before driving on the shoulder and rolling on the driver's side.

Deputies drew their weapons and located Gomez sitting outside the van. He was transported to Carson-Tahoe Hospital for evaluation, treated for minor injuries, and transported to Douglas County Jail in Minden.

He was jailed on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, eluding, failure to maintain a travel lane, speeding, expired registration, obstructing an officer and several other traffic violations.

He is to appear in East Fork Justice Court on Tuesday.

Gomez was arrested April 21 when he tried to run from deputies who pulled him over for a traffic stop. He was captured when he tripped over sagebrush, according to reports.

He pleaded guilty to obstructing a public officer, a misdemeanor.

In March 2006, Gomez was sentenced to up to four years in prison for selling methamphetamine.

His prior convictions for drug and alcohol offenses include two felonies and being kicked out of Western Regional Drug Court.

He and his family lost their Bodie Flats home to a fire on April 28.