Suspect caught with pounds of meth, hundreds of Oxycontin pills, loaded gun after pursuit

Marin County Major Crimes Task Force detectives and Novato police arrested a San Rafael man this week on suspicion of possessing drugs, a weapon and suspected stolen laptops and cell phones after a vehicle pursuit.

An officer tried to pull over a 2020 BMW for making an unsafe lane change in Novato Monday evening, police said.

The driver, identified as Matthew Mistachkin, 38, didn’t pull over until he drove down a dead-end street where he turned suddenly, drove into the officer’s patrol car and fled on U.S. Highway 101, police said.

The officer was not injured and he was able to pursue Mistachkin in his patrol car. Other police officers and the California Highway Patrol pursued Mistachkin who lost control of the BMW and hit a retaining wall just north of Atherton Avenue.

When the officer saw a gun and ‘suspicious items’ in the BMW, he called the Marin County Major Crimes Task Force. Detectives found a loaded gun, more than three pounds of methamphetamine, more than 400 Oxycontin pills, cocaine and other drugs, police said.

There also were 21 cell phones, 13 laptops and $50,000 in cash in the BMW, police said.

Mistachkin was arrested for assaulting an officer with a vehicle and fleeing the scene. The task force will request other charges including possession of narcotics for sale and being a felon in possession of a firearm, police said.

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