An attempted robbery suspect who allegedly drove a car toward a Glendale police officer — before that officer fired four gunshots at the vehicle — posted bail less than three hours after being booked, jail records show.
Joseph Vincent Esposito Jr., 28, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of attempted robbery and assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer into the Glendale jail at 8:09 p.m. Wednesday and released at 10:32 p.m. on $50,000 bail, according to sheriff’s inmate records.
Esposito was allegedly trying to steal a shopper’s cell phone about 1:50 that afternoon at Eagle Rock Plaza in the 2600 block of Colorado Boulevard, said Glendale police Sgt. Dan Suttles.
When an officer got to the location, a witness pointed out the suspect and a foot pursuit ensued, Suttles said.
The suspect managed to get into a car, start it and begin driving, allegedly directly toward the pursing officer, Suttles said.
In self defense, the officer fired four shots at the suspect, the sergeant said. None of the rounds hit the suspect, and no one was injured.
The vehicle driven by the suspect was later found abandoned on the York Boulevard off-ramp from the Glendale (2) Freeway. Police received reports of a man fleeing on foot through the area, and one of Esposito’s relatives eventually called police to report he had arrived home, Suttles said.
Officers went to the home in the 1400 block of Trent Way and negotiated Esposito’s surrender, he said.