A stolen car pursuit began in El Monte and wound its way through Monterey Park, Commerce and East Los Angeles before the driver gave police the slip Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles, where the vehicle was later found abandoned.
“We got a Lojack hit on the stolen vehicle and our officers tried to stop the vehicle” about 8 a.m., said El Monte poice Lt. Christopher Cano. “The suspects refused to stop and that’s when the pursuit began.”
Monterey Park police and the sheriff’s department were alerted as the chase wound its way through their jurisdictions.
“Finally, my officer in charge called off our pursuit out of fear for public safety,” Cano said.
At that point, he said, a sheriff’s helicopter crew took over the chase and began tracking the car as the driver — believed to be female with a male passenger — sped dangerously along surface streets, running red lights, cutting off other drivers and sideswiping several vehicles.
The driver eventually made it to downtown, where the car — which had been reported stolen in Los Angeles — disappeared from view among the tall buildings. It was later found near the intersection of Cesar Chavez Avenue and Figueroa Street, according to Los Angeles police Sgt. Fred Kinney.
“Our officers located the car there and we had it impounded and are holding it for prints,” Kinney said.
— Wire reports