Police Chase Ends Near Del Rey; Stolen Vehicle Suspect In Custody

DEL REY, CA — A police pursuit of a reported stolen vehicle that began in the Ladera Heights area ended when the driver ditched the white SUV at a cul-de-sac in the Del Rey area and ran across the Marina (90) Freeway and into a grassy field, where he was taken into custody by officers.

The pursuit began about 5:35 p.m. in the 5900 block of La Tijera Boulevard, near Slauson Avenue, said Officer William Cooper with the Los Angeles Police Department.

The driver of a white SUV that had been reported stolen fled from police on the Santa Monica (10) Freeway in the Culver City area, driving past others on the shoulder, before exiting at Robertson Boulevard and traveling through residential streets.

He eventually drove onto the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway, then exited again shortly after onto Sunset Boulevard.

The driver weaved through surface streets, cutting through several narrow alleys.

The LAPD shifted to tracking mode at some point in the chase, stopping officers from following the vehicle but continuing monitoring it from a helicopter. The department shifts to tracking mode when the pursuit is deemed unsafe to continue, Cooper said.

The driver abandoned the vehicle at a dead-end at McConnell Avenue in Del Rey and made way onto the Ballona Creek Bike Path before running across the Marina (90) Freeway as cars sped by.

The suspect was taken into custody shortly after in a grassy field near the freeway. The driver's name was not immediately available.

- City News Service and Patch Editor Nicole Charky contributed to this report.