A pursuit that started with a stolen minivan in Ventura ended nearly six hours later in Thousand Oaks. Tracey Leong reports for the NBC4 News on July 19, 2023.
Police arrested a man suspected of stealing at least three vehicles and leading a high-speed chase in Ventura and Los Angeles counties Wednesday.
The driver is suspected of stealing a vehicle in Ventura County, then started a pursuit that led to a crash that injured two officers in Toluca Lake.
News Chopper 4 showed images of the moment when the driver carjacked two vehicles at two different gas stations.
It was unclear exactly when and where the series of auto thefts began, but around 11 a.m., a pair of Los Angeles Police Department officers who were pursuing the suspect were injured in a traffic crash in the 10500 block of Riverside Drive, according to the LAPD.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
The officers were both taken to a hospital in unknown condition, while the suspect fled the scene.
Early Wednesday afternoon, the suspect was spotted driving a white minivan through the San Fernando Valley, traveling at high speeds on the 118 Freeway, at times narrowly avoiding collisions with other vehicles.
An officer eventually managed to successfully deploy a spike strip that disabled at least one tire on the van.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The suspect pulled over near Tampa Avenue and Rinaldi Street in the Porter Ranch area and carjacked a white BMW sedan that was stopped at a gas station, continuing the chase.
Shortly before 2 p.m., with the BMW also appearing to be disabled, the suspect pulled into another gas station in the Woodland Hills area and stole another white minivan.
The suspect then headed west on the 118 Freeway, again hitting speeds over 100 mph, before reaching the Moorpark 23 Freeway, where he was boxed in by a trio of police cruisers, one of which the suspect struck while driving in reverse in an unsuccessful attempt to escape.
With the vehicle pinned on three sides, the suspect got out of the van and surrendered.
There was no immediate word of any other injuries during the crime spree, other than the officers in Toluca Lake.
The suspect's name was not immediately available.
