The first chase involved a domestic violence suspect who ran from West Covina police for more than an hour. After he crashed and became stranded, a tense roadblock situation ensued as he refused to surrender. Even as that roadblock continued, a second pursuit began to unfold just blocks away in West Covina.
Pursuit of domestic violence suspects
The first pursuit began in the West Covina area just before 10 p.m. A suspect wanted for domestic violence and possible rape fled at high speeds over the 10 freeway, southbound 710 and 105 and briefly drove onto surface roads in Inglewood. Eventually the Scion got back on the eastbound 105 freeway. At least six West Covina police SUVs followed the suspect closely at high speeds and at times hitting close to 100 mph on the freeway. It appears that they did not request assistance from the CHP, although the agency was on hand. Police say the suspect is wanted for domestic violence and possibly rape. At 11 p.m., more than an hour after the chase began, a police cruiser rear-ended the Scion in a PIT maneuver that sent it spinning over a median. The front right rim spun and the tire burst as the car hit a light pole. At first it looked like this would end the pursuit, but the vehicle backed away from the pole and took off again. The driver stopped a short time later and again it appeared to be over as officers approached with guns drawn. Once again the car took off and drove fast even as sparks rose as the bare wheel scraped along the ground. The vehicle eventually struck the back of a parked car in West Covina and was pulled into the road by a police SUV. But again the suspect refused to give up, gunning his engine and causing the damaged wheel to spin in place, sending out sparks and a cloud of smoke. At some point while he was trapped, the suspect appeared to throw an object, possibly a key, out of the vehicle.
Second police chase begins in West Covina
As the roadblock continued, a second police pursuit involving sheriff’s deputies chasing a stolen vehicle developed a short distance away. This stolen car sped through the neighborhoods of the eastern San Gabriel Valley. At one point it stopped briefly and at least two passengers jumped out and then the vehicle continued to move. The stolen car ran red lights and drove at high speeds on surface roads with at least one sheriff’s unit nearby. DEVELOPMENT: This story will be updated. Copyright © 2022 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
