Dangerous Pursuit Involving Stolen Car Winds Through Southland, Driver Goes Wrong Way On 5 Freeway
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A suspect behind the wheel of a stolen car was taken into custody Friday after leading authorities on a long and dangerous chase across the Southland.
The pursuit involving the stolen vehicle began sometime before 12:30 p.m. in the Downey area.
With Los Angeles police officers giving the chase, the pursuit wound its way north into downtown L.A. and then into East L.A., before traversing surface streets in Commerce.
The suspect then jumped onto the southbound 5 Freeway and headed south into Norwalk and Anaheim.
A little after 1 p.m., the suspect pulled a U-turn and began traveling the wrong way, going north on the southbound side of the 5 Freeway.
The suspect came to a halt on the freeway near Artesia Boulevard in Buena Park. Traffic was stopped on both sides of the freeway as LAPD officers lined the freeway in an attempt to bring the chase to an end.
However, at around 1:20 p.m., the suspect began to move again, continuing to travel the wrong way on the southbound side of the freeway. The driver exited the 5 Freeway, making his way onto surface streets in Buena Park.
LAPD officers attempted to conduct several PIT maneuvers, and also threw out spike strips on one occasion, but all those attempts failed. The suspect made his way slowly down surface streets through Buena Park, La Mirada and back north into Norwalk and then Lakewood.
A little after 2 p.m., police finally cornered the driver at Bloomfield Avenue and Del Amo Boulevard in the South L.A. County city of Lakewood. Officers got out of their cruisers with guns and less-lethal weapons drawn, and a standoff ensued, with the suspect refusing to exit the car.
By just after 3:30 p.m., the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody.
The exact circumstances that prompted the pursuit were unclear. Police told CBSLA the suspect may be armed with a knife.
