Bail is set at $150,000 for a Mossyrock man who was arrested by Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies Friday after an 80-mile chase that started in rural Chehalis and ended in Onalaska.
Justin Gootgeld, 25, of Mossyrock, was charged in Lewis County Superior Court Monday with seven offenses, including two counts of malicious mischief, one count of attempting to elude a police vehicle, one count of driving under the influence, two counts of assault with substantial bodily harm and one count of resisting arrest.
At 6:58 a.m. Friday morning, Lewis County deputy Tyson Brown overheard a radio broadcast that another deputy attempted to stop a gray 2016 Scion TC coupe registered to Gootgeld. The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) stated in a news release that the deputy observed an unauthorized vehicle traveling with active red and blue flashing lights.
The driver initially stopped but then fled as the deputy was approaching on foot, according to the LCSO. Before Brown could fully deploy stop sticks, Gootgeld allegedly drove past him at a high rate of speed, according to charging documents filed in the Lewis County Superior Court. By this time, three other deputies, including the deputy who attempted to pull over the vehicle, were assisting in the pursuit.
Brown observed the vehicle strike a center median and pass traffic, with speeds exceeding 100 mph, according to court documents. Gootgeld, ignoring sirens and flashing lights of pursuing police vehicles, traveled onto Interstate 5 northbound and consistently drove in the center median and shoulder to pass other civilian traffic, court documents state. He allegedly drove through the grassy area to get his vehicle back onto pavement and took the off ramp. Brown wrote in his report that Gootgeld came extremely close to colliding with civilian traffic by cutting across the lanes of travel and driving off the road.
Gootgeld turned northbound onto Jackson Highway and failed to stop for the four-way intersection, increasing his speeds to over 100 mph again. He managed to avoid stop sticks in various positions before making a left turn onto North Forks Road at a high speed and overshooting the corner, nearly hitting the residence at the intersection. He then sped through a construction zone, according to court documents.
Brown initiated a successful pursuit intervention technique (PIT) maneuver to stop Gootgeld’s vehicle. Gootgeld attempted to drive away and immediately collided with multiple patrol vehicles, which were rendered inoperable due to the collisions. Gootgeld evacuated his vehicle, and Brown held him at gunpoint, court documents report. Gootgeld ran, and officers ran after him and successfully deployed a taser.
According to court documents, four officers attempted to put Gootgeld into handcuffs, but he was able to grab a handful of rocks and attempted to hit Brown. Once he was taken into custody, he allegedly apologized to the officers and admitted to his use and consumption of cocaine earlier in the morning. A warrant was obtained for his blood to search for evidence of controlled substances.
Gootgeld is on active Department of Corrections supervision. His Monday preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court involved not only last week’s chase but a 2018 sex offense case in which he entered a guilty plea to second-degree conspiracy to commit rape of a child in the. He was placed on a Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA), but due to various SSOSA violations, his sentence was modified such that he spent 12 consecutive months in the Lewis County Jail, and his community custody was increased by another 24 months. Due to the tolling of community custody and the 24-month extension, Gootgeld is under Department of Corrections supervision until Jan. 25, 2027. After his fifth SSOSA violation, the state asked to hold Gootgeld without bail on the SSOSA case and set a hearing to revoke his SSOSA, according to court documents.
“If the court is not inclined to follow that recommendation, I’m going to ask for $500,000 cash or surety on the 2025 cause number given the facts of the case,” Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead said Monday. “But, if the court does follow the recommendation on the no-bail hold, we have no objection to a personal recognizance (bond) on that matter just to allow more time for the case to be developed. If the court’s not going to hold him without bail, then I’m going to ask for $250,000 on the 2025 cause number.”
Defense Attorney Rachael Tiller responded that she would like to give Gootgeld and his family an opportunity to post bond and asked the court to allow that opportunity in the 2025 case, whether it by at personal recognizance or at no more than $100,000.
Judge Paul Strophy said the court has significant concerns about Gootgeld’s risk to the community given allegations of attempting to elude and violence. After setting bail at $150,000 on that case, he decided to hold Gootgeld without bail on the 2018 matter and said there is a basis to revoke his SSOSA pending disposition of a motion to revoke.
Gootgeld’s arraignment is set for Thursday, July 3.
