A two-county motorcycle chase that began in Santa Maria and reached 100 miles per hour ended in the Atascadero Library parking lot Wednesday night with the arrest of the motorcyclist and his passenger.
Matthew Ryan Mahoney, 31, was arrested on suspicion of evading arrest and driving under the influence of drugs. His passenger, Yolanda Gonzalez Leal, 40, was arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs for sale. Both are from Santa Maria.
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According to the California Highway Patrol, a CHP unit tried to stop the motorcyclist on Broadway near Highway 101 in Santa Maria. Mahoney failed to pull over, the CHP said, and drove north on Highway 101.
At Nipomo, San Luis Obispo CHP officers took over the chase, which at times escalated to 100 miles per hour. A CHP helicopter also was tracking the motorcycle by this time.
Mahoney exited the freeway at Santa Barbara Road and drove over surface streets, running stop signs and maintaining speeds of 30 to 35 miles per hour.
Eventually, Mahoney pulled into the library parking lot at Atascadero Avenue and Morro Road, and he and Leal surrendered without incident, according to the CHP.
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