Thursday, January 16, 1997
PURSUIT:
Alleged burglar arrested, two still at large after car curbed on
campusBy John Digrado
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Amid the din of news helicopters and police sirens, a
17-year-old male burglary suspect was arrested on the UCLA campus
last night after a high speed chase that led university police, Los
Angeles police and California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers from
campus down the 405 freeway as far south as Centinela Boulevard and
back again.
The 20-minute pursuit ended at about 5:50 p.m. at the John
Wooden Center turnaround, where a white, ’96 modified Acura Integra
coupe jumped the curb in front of a parking attendant booth. The
suspects then fled on foot in opposite directions.
A first suspect ran toward the Dance Building, and was arrested
at the scene. Two additional suspects ran toward the Intramural
Field police said and were still at large at press time.
University police confirmed that none of the suspects were
students at UCLA.
According to police reports, the suspects were "cruising around"
parking structures stealing custom parts from modified late-model
Acuras, Toyotas and Hondas.
Police were alerted to the scene when one of the burglary
victims called university police to report two suspects stealing an
air filter assembly from a late-model Toyota.
Officers responded immediately to Sunset Village parking
structure level P4 to take a report of the stolen goods.
The burglary victims pointed out the suspect’s car, and officers
began following the Acura around the structure and into Westwood
Village.
Intending to question and possibly arrest the suspects, officers
tried to pull the Integra over, but the car sped off. "We went to
stop these two, but the chase was on," said university police
officer Paul Stewart.
As the suspects left university grounds, the driver of the Acura
struck the rear of another unidentified car, causing an unknown
amount of damage to the back end of the victim’s car and smashing
in the right front fender and hood of the Integra.
A 57-year-old woman in the victim’s car complaining of neck and
back pain was taken to the emergency room at the UCLA Medical
Center for treatment. Her condition was unknown as of press
time.
Leading the chase through Westwood Village and south on the San
Diego (I-405) freeway, university police called in officers from
the CHP and an LAPD helicopter as backup.
Reaching speeds of up to 80 mph, the suspects led the university
police, LAPD and CHP officers on a 15-mile chase down the 405 to
the Marina (90) freeway and back to Westwood.
Leading police through Westwood, the suspects then tried to
elude police by driving back to campus, entering UCLA from the
north entrance to parking structure four.
As the driver of the car tried to turn around, CHP officers
nudged the Integra into a curb, leaving the car stranded on an
island between the structure and a parking attendant kiosk.
UCLA parking attendants were witnesses at the scene after the
pursuit, where police arrested a male suspect attempting to flee
from the crime scene.
"I think they thought the road turned, so they ran into the
curb," said Alecia Whitacker, a fourth-year history student and one
of the parking attendants on duty at structure four. "Then they
jumped out and one ran (toward Towell) and the other went (toward
the IM field)."
While both parking attendants confirmed that they saw only two
suspects, university police believe there were three suspects in
the car.
The entire cause for the incident came down to several hundred
dollars worth of custom car equipment stolen from parked autos.
After inspecting the Integra’s trunk, police identified the
stolen air filter in addition to a pile of allegedly stolen custom
exhaust pipes, a set of speakers and a black custom spoiler.
Also recovered were several duffel bags full of clothes and a
UCLA parking permit.
With several dozen bewildered UCLA students looking on,
university police officers led the arrested suspect into a patrol
car and sped away.
"All of a sudden, I see eight helicopters" hovering above
campus, said Tony Yu, a first-year business economics student. "At
first, I thought there was a convict or some dangerous criminal
running around."
As of press time, up to two suspects were still at large and
under pursuit by university police officers.
Students witnessing the scene noted that they would likely walk
around campus in a group knowing that there could be two burglary
suspects still on the loose.
"I should have gone to Berkeley," said Rena Wang, a first-year
psychology student.
(top right)
Recovered from the vehicle were several hundred dollars worth of
stolen custom auto parts, stereo speakers, and several duffel bags
of possibly stolen goods.
(right) An unidentified juvenile is taken into custody by
university police officers after he and two others led police on a
15-mile high speed chase.