Soldotna man and Kenai woman arrested in Fairbanks on Friday

A Soldotna man and a Kenai woman were arrested in Fairbanks on Friday after fighting with park rangers and leading police on a five-mile chase.

According to a criminal complaint, a Department of Natural Resources park ranger was on patrol in the Chena River State Recreation Area on Thursday afternoon when he saw a blue sedan parked in the boat ramp area without a receipt for the day-use fee.

According to the DNR, state recreation areas cost between $5 and $10.

The ranger saw a male driver and a female passenger who appeared to be moving things around in the car. A second woman was lying in the back seat of the car.

The man, later identified as 24-year-old Joseph Marotta, told police his name was Kyle McLaughlin and gave a false date of birth, the complaint says.

One of the women had a knife trapped under her leg, the complaint states.

The woman in the back seat got out of the limousine and left the recreation area.

The ranger ordered Morotta to get out of the car. “I observed the male looking around in a manner consistent with my training and experience of a person preparing for fight or flight,” the complaint states.

The ranger tried to hold Marotta down and drag him out of the vehicle when Marotta allegedly tried to hit the ranger.

The complaint states that the woman, later identified as 23-year-old Mynah Marie Christens Hart, opened the car door and reached for something in the car.

The ranger threatened to use his taser, and Marotta turned toward him, “in a blade stance that suggests he is ready to flee.”

The ranger used a taser on Marotta and he fell to the ground.

Hart ripped the taser wires and appeared to reach for something in the car, whereupon the ranger stunned her with a taser.

Marotta stood up. The ranger forced him back to the ground and Marotta pushed himself away from the ranger and yelled for Hart to help him. The ranger sprayed pepper spray on Marotta.

Hart got into the driver’s seat of the car, turned it around and pointed it at the Ranger.

“I believe the woman was trying to hit me with her car,” the complaint states.

The ranger pointed his gun at the car.

“Just before I fired my weapon, the woman swerved and left the parking lot,” the complaint states. Marotta ran after the car and got into it.

Another ranger saw a sedan speeding out of the park. Rangers pursued Hart and Marotta on Marlin Street, Airport Way Frontage Road and University Avenue.

Hart was reportedly speeding down University Avenue at speeds of 50 to 65 miles per hour.

Alaska State Police participated in the chase on University Avenue.

Hart turned onto the Johansen Expressway, drove more than 90 miles per hour, ran red lights and drove on the shoulder of the road.

The limousine stopped on Steese Highway and Marotta ran from the car, jumped the fence on the east side of Steese Highway and climbed the hill below Birch Hill Cemetery.

Marotta complied with the rangers’ demands and was arrested.

Hart told Alaska State Troopers that she had drugs in the car and tried to protect Marotta from the ranger during the initial contact.

There were three arrest warrants for Marotta in Kenai for serious crimes.

Hart was charged with third-degree aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, failure to stop at the command of a police officer and resisting arrest.

Marotta was charged with fourth-degree assault, disorderly conduct and communicating false information.

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