The Mariposa County Sheriff was led on a wild chase by a madman who terrorized staff and patrons inside of the Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite National Park last week.
The frontman for the hard-core punk group Cancer Christ found himself in handcuffs while wearing his underwear, after an erratic crime spree that spanned multiple counties in California.
Anthony Mehlhaff, 40, went on a wild rampage that included assault, attempted kidnapping, and robbery.
All of those crimes happened before he led the police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle, which ended with the bomb squad being called in.
The Mariposa County Sheriff had his hands full with this unhinged criminal
Mehlhaff’s brief but destructive reign of terror started at 1:45 PM last Wednesday when he reportedly accosted a pregnant waitress.
He randomly touched the woman’s stomach and making bizarre claims about spirits leading him to her and the baby.
The singer allegedly told the server that her baby belonged to him and asked about her break time, because he would be waiting for her.
After helping himself to some drinks and attacking another restaurant employee, Mehlhaff sped off toward Yosemite National Park in a vehicle.
Numerous 911 calls flooded in as witnesses reported his reckless behavior, which included hurling beer cans out of the car window.
Yosemite Park rangers attempted to intercept Mehlhaff, but his path of destruction extended through neighboring Merced and Mariposa counties.
After crashing his vehicle, he stole a bicycle, stripped off his shirt, and handed it to a bystander, claiming the man would want to keep the shirt, because he would soon be famous.
Punk singer terrorizes staff at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite
Mehlhaff then stormed into the Tenaya Lodge kitchen, and weirdly put his hat and other belongings into a refrigerator, then grabbed a knife and threatened the kitchen staff.
From there, he hoofed it to a creek near the Tenaya Lodge Clubhouse, removed his pants, wallet, and car keys, and entered the clubhouse clad only in his underwear, demanding that patrons leave or face danger.
During his rampage at the clubhouse, he reportedly vandalized property and assaulted the store manager, stealing his car keys and attempting to kidnap him.
The manager managed to escape, and Mehlhaff drove off in the stolen vehicle, heading toward Oakhurst on Highway 41.
During his drive, he engaged in extreme road rage against a Tesla driver, tailgating and making aggressive gestures before ramming his vehicle into the electric car.
Mariposa County Sheriff’s Deputies were only able to arrest Mehlhaff after he crashed the stolen car on Highway 41 near Oakhurst.
Even though he was already in cuffs, the punk singer continued to cause trouble after the fact.
Police found an Enola Gay smoke grenade hidden in the door panel of his personal vehicle, and had to call in the Merced Bomb Squad to deal with the device.
While undergoing a medical evaluation at a local hospital, Mehlhaff continued his extremely aggressive behavior by attacking deputies.
Mariposa County Sheriff comments on wild crimes inside Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite
The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office extended gratitude to their partners, including the Yosemite National Park Service, Oakhurst California Highway Patrol, the Merced Bomb Squad, and the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, for helping them stop the unhinged menace.
Sheriff Jeremy Briese was relieved that no one was seriously injured, despite the “erratic and dangerous behavior” of Mehlhaff.
“This is just a glimpse of what we encounter at any given time,” Briese noted. “I am proud of the work done by our staff and partnerships built that give us the ability to apprehend criminals who continue to harm our communities.”
Mehlhaff faces multiple charges, including vandalism, vehicle theft, reckless driving, kidnapping, theft, first-degree burglary, robbery, obstructing an officer, and battery, according to The Los Angeles Times.
He remains behind bars with a $100,000 bail as he awaits further legal proceedings.
Californicate.