Los Angeles man arrested after terrorizing people during bizarre crime spree near Yosemite National Park

A Los Angeles man was arrested earlier this week after a bizarre, day-long crime spree in Central California that included a chase, attempted kidnapping and assault.

According to a Facebook post from the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office, the ordeal began around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday on Highway 120 in the Buck Meadows area.

The suspect, identified as 40-year-old Anthony Mehlhaff, approached a pregnant waitress in a restaurant, touched her belly and then allegedly said, “The spirits led me to you, your baby is mine. And when is your break, because I will be waiting for you.”

He then stole several drinks, attacked another waiter at the restaurant and sped off in his car towards Yosemite National Park.

“At 3 p.m., the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office received multiple calls to the 911 dispatch center,” the MCSD statement said. “Reports of a possible car accident, kidnapping, assault, stolen vehicles and other suspicious circumstances, all occurring in the vicinity of Fish Camp.”

Those calls were made after Yosemite National Park rangers attempted to stop Mehlhaaff on Highway 41, which runs within the park boundaries, but he continued driving and eventually reached the Fish Camp area, where he crashed his car and stole a bicycle, the statement added.

Before he left, he reportedly took off his shirt, gave it to a person and said, “You're going to want to keep this, I'm going to be famous.”

He then entered the Tenaya Lodge kitchen through a back door, where he left his hat and other items in a refrigerator, the statement said.

At that point, officials said, he grabbed a knife and began threatening the workers.

“Melhalff left the lodge kitchen and walked to a creek near the Tenaya Lodge clubhouse where he removed his pants, wallet and car keys,” the Facebook post said. “He then entered the clubhouse wearing only his underwear and told customers to leave or they would be in danger.”

Officials say Mehlhaff trashed the inside of the clubhouse before attacking the store manager and taking their keys. He tried to force him to drive him out of the area. However, the manager was able to flee from Mehlhaff.

However, this did not stop him from continuing his rampage. He stole the manager's car and drove down Highway 41 toward Oakhurst.

“While driving on Highway 41, Mehlhaff encountered a Tesla and began to become extremely aggressive. He drove up close to the Tesla and made aggressive hand gestures,” the statement said. “Mehlhaff eventually began to ram the Tesla.”

Eventually, officers arrived on the scene, found both cars, and attempted to stop Mehlhaff, but he fled. He continued driving until he reached the town of Oakhurst, where he crashed.

After his arrest, the suspect was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, where he began attacking Mariposa County Sheriff's officers, the statement said.

He was taken to the Mariposa County Jail and is being held on $100,000 bail.

While searching his car, investigators discovered an Enola Gay smoke grenade inside and called the Merced Bomb Disposal Unit to the scene.

“This man drove throughout our county terrorizing our visitors and community members,” said Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese. “I am extremely glad that no one was seriously injured, this man's behavior was erratic and dangerous. This is just a small glimpse of what we encounter at any given time. I am proud of the work of our staff and the partnerships we have built that allow us to apprehend criminals who continue to harm our communities.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that Mehlhaff is the frontman of the Los Angeles-based punk band Cancer Christ.