A driver was taken into custody in La Verne after leading law enforcement on a multi-county pursuit in a vehicle that was stolen in the Fairfax District Wednesday morning, police said.
The incident began just after 7:30 a.m., when the car was taken during a burglary in the 600 block of North Sierra Bonita, according to Los Angeles Police Department Officer Jeff Lee. Other property was also stolen during the incident, he said without elaborating on what or how many items.
Law enforcement began pursuing the car just after 9 a.m. on the eastbound 10 Freeway in West Covina, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The chase had entered the Montclair area by the time Sky5 first got over the chase around 10:15 a.m. The black vehicle, which had a damaged back bumper, appeared to be driving erratically, speeding down surface streets, weaving through traffic and appearing to run at least one red light, aerial video showed.
Minutes later, the driver began slowing down as the car wound through a residential neighborhood. By that point, no patrol units could be seen directly behind the pursuit vehicle.
Around 10:25 a.m., the driver parked the car on a tree-lined street, exited the vehicle and appeared to remove his red shirt and change clothes before entering the back yard of a residence in the La Verne area, the aerial video showed. He could then be seen slowly sneaking through an adjacent alley.
Law enforcement personnel, including a K-9, were on scene combing the area for the driver.
The search was still underway when Sky5 left the scene, which was shortly before 11:15 a.m.
Around the same time, the La Verne Police Department issued an alert, urging people to avoid the area of Sixth Street and White Avenue due to the police activity. Officials described the wanted man as Black, possibly 20 to 35 years old and wearing blue jeans, according to the alert.
Around 11:40 a.m., police said they found the wanted man hiding in a rear house. CHP officers took him into custody without incident.
He has not been identified yet and no further details were provided.
