Suspect held after wild chase through 3 counties

HAYWARD, Calif. - A suspect wanted in a Vallejo assault was arrested after a wild pursuit through three counties.

The chase streaked from Vallejo to Hayward and involved Vallejo police and California Highway Patrol officers from Solano, Contra Costa, Oakland and Hayward offices.

Video provided by the CHP from the vantage point of helicopter H-30 shows a Chevy pickup truck being pursued over the Benicia Bridge at about 8 p.m. Wednesday.

"They are requesting CHP with a spike," a dispatcher says.

"OK, we're coming up on the 680 interchange, we'll let you know where we're gonna go in a second," an officer responds.

The chase streaked down I-680 and Highway 24 in Contra Costa County and Highway 13 in the Oakland hills before the driver exited on 98th Avenue in East Oakland.

But the driver got back onto eastbound I-580 despite having some of his tires flattened by spike-strips.

"We're approaching Dutton in the number-2 lane, tires are starting to come apart at 65 mph," an officer in the helicopter reported.

At one point, you can see sparks fly - and a tire rolling off the Chevy - narrowly missing a police car. 

The driver then took a circuitous route through Hayward, even going through an apartment complex with missing tires. 

Authorities said the suspect drove toward oncoming traffic near Foothill and Mission boulevards.

"And he's going the wrong way on Foothill, southbound in the northbound lanes, no units behind it, speeds about 20," the helicopter officer radioed.

The driver soon crawled to a stop on Mission near Highland Boulevard and gave up.

"One occupant, stepping out hands up, coming out," the officer reported.

KTVU cameras caught the aftermath of the chase.

The suspect, George Guttenbeil, 35, was turned over to Vallejo police by the CHP.

Guttenbeil was also wanted on a warrant in San Mateo County after being charged there with grand theft and theft by false pretenses, records show.

Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan