Carjacker Steals 3 Vehicles, Leads Calif. Police on Wild 6-Hour Chase
A man is accused of carjacking three vehicles and leading police on a six-hour chase through two counties that injured two LAPD officers Wednesday.
The incident involving a suspected stolen van began in Ventura County and continued into the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, KTTV-TV reports. As the chase traveled through the Toluca Lake area, the suspect collided with an LAPD cruiser, injuring two officers, according to KCBS-TV.
The chase was temporarily suspended following the crash. No details were released concerning the nature and extent of the officers' injuries.
Police caught up with the suspect, and an officer was nearly struck by the fleeing driver while deploying stop sticks on the roadway. The stop sticks blew out the van's tires, and the suspect ran to a nearby gas station, where he carjacked a BMW sedan.
The man reached speeds of 80 mph as he drove through Canoga Park to Woodland Hills. At another gas station, the suspect jumped out of the BMW and stole a van.
As the suspect headed toward Ventura County, police were able to set up a barricade at a freeway entrance in Thousand Oaks. Surrounded, the suspect exited the van and surrendered to authorities.
