A man was arrested after allegedly stealing a car with three children inside, leading to a dramatic police chase that was caught on video.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said in a news release that officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call at a convenience store in East Los Angeles around 6:40 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29. A pedestrian had reportedly been hit by a car.
When officers arrived, they found that the suspect had entered a Chrysler vehicle with three children inside, aged 2, 6, and 8. The mother, who had been driving, had left the engine running while she went into the store.
The children’s father, who was parked nearby, tried to stop the suspect from driving off with the children but was injured in the process, according to LASD. The car then drove west on Olympic Boulevard.
“The father attempted to intervene and was dragged by the stolen vehicle a short distance before falling to the ground, sustaining injuries to his upper body,” LASD said.
Officers from LASD’s East Los Angeles division found the suspect and tried to stop him, but he fled. The police chased him along several roadways and Interstate-10. The chase ended in Malibu after a traffic collision involving four other vehicles.
“The suspect abandoned the vehicle and ran on foot up a steep embankment into a residential area, where he was caught by [California Highway Patrol] officers,” LASD said.
Erica Trujillo, who told local news outlet KABC that the crash happened in front of her, said she “braced for impact” and then saw the suspect “get out of the car” and “run.”
LASD said the three children suffered “non-life-threatening injuries” and were taken to a hospital for observation. A woman involved in the crash was also injured and transported to the hospital.
The suspect, described as a “male Asian adult,” was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. LASD said his identity will be confirmed after the booking process is complete. They added that the man may have been injured either in the collision or while trying to escape through the residential area.
Formal charges are still pending as LASD completes the booking process.
