Truck With Murder Suspect Inside Leads Police On Hour-Long Chase

BRENTWOOD (CBSLA) — A man wanted for murder and his driver who led police on an hour-long pursuit from the San Fernando Valley to the South Bay have been taken into custody.

The pursuit began on the 101 Freeway in the Northridge area just before 5 p.m. Wednesday. A passenger in the green, full-size truck jumped out and fled on foot before being taken into custody.

The suspect later identified as 39-year-old Gregorio Garcia was wanted by Los Angeles police on suspicion of a double murder. He was the remaining passenger in the vehicle, which made its way onto the southbound 405 Freeway to the 10, weaving through unusually light rush hour traffic and ending up in Santa Monica. The truck slowed to a crawl on residential streets at times, a procession of LAPD cruisers visible not too far behind.

LAPD said the Garcia eventually made contact with a watch commander. Just after 6 p.m., the vehicle made its way into the parking lot of the Ralphs grocery store near Wilshire Boulevard and Bundy Drive in the Brentwood area.

After stopping in front of the store's entrance for several minutes, the driver of the vehicle exited the truck with his hands up and got face-down on the ground. Shortly thereafter, the murder suspect did the same from the passenger side door with a cell phone in his hand.

Both men were placed in handcuffs and taken into custody without further incident.

Police said Garcia was wanted in connection with a double murder that took place in February in the LAPD's Rampart Division.

This story has been updated.