The long arm of California law is looking for the colorful Cardinal:
An arrest warrant has been issued by the Irvine Police Department for Cardinals utilityman Scott Spiezio on six charges stemming from a crash in late December.
The warrant alleges driving under the influence, driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or more, hit and run, aggravated assault, assault and battery.
The 35-year-old Spiezio, who missed more than a month last season while receiving treatment for substance abuse, was not in the lineup for Wednesday's exhibition game against St. Louis University at Jupiter, Fla.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told an Associated Press reporter in Jupiter that he did not have specifics on the warrant and had not spoken to Spiezio.
"I had heard there was an incident in California," La Russa said. "I didn't think anything would come of it.
Spiezio's agent, Barry Meister, did not immediately return a message left by The Associated Press.
Authorities in Irvine, a suburb of Los Angeles, provided the following narration of events before and after the crash, which occurred at 12:20 a.m. on Dec. 30, a Sunday:
Spiezio was seen consuming several vodka drinks at a bar in nearby Newport Beach, Calif., and then driving away in his 2004 BMW. Witnesses saw his car speeding, cutting across lanes and crossing into oncoming traffic before driving over a curb and crashing into a fence at Campus and Carlson avenues, a short distance from his condominium.
Other witnesses saw a man they identified as Spiezio get out of the car and run. Police officers who arrived at the scene found the car, with both of its front tires blown, and verified it was Spiezio’s.
Spiezio allegedly went from the crash site to his condo complex, where a friend noticed that he was disheveled and apparently injured. The friend brought Spiezio into the friend's apartment and tried to clean him up, then Spiezio vomited inside the condo, police said.
When the friend said something about the vomit, Spiezio allegedly became angry and attacked the man, "punching him repeatedly and then throwing him against a wall," according to a statement by the Orange County district attorney’s office.
Lt. Rick Handfield, spokesman for the Irvine Police Department, said Spiezio never has talked to investigating officers, who began looking for him the morning of the alleged incidents.
I guess even if you are Scott Spiezio, you can run but you can't hide.
And you certainly shouldn't drive.
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