Friday, January 17, 1997
CHASE:
Police hope
incident will provide leads to solve burglariesBy John
Digrado
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Two male burglary suspects involved in a 15-mile, 20-minute
high-speed chase and hit-and-run remained at large Thursday as
university police followed up on leads to the suspects’
locations.
A cadre of officers from the university and Los Angeles police
departments and the California Highway Patrol followed and arrested
a 17-year-old male suspect in front of the Dance Building on
Wednesday night. The remaining two suspects fled on foot toward the
Intramural Field.
None of the three suspects attend UCLA, police said, noting that
they were likely all minors taking advantage of the "gold mine" of
parked cars on campus.
The white ’96 Acura Integra coupe that the suspects had been
driving was damaged in the chase by the hit-and-run and left
stranded on an island between Parking Structure 4 and a kiosk, and
towed and impounded by police after the incident.
The suspects had allegedly been stealing parts and items from
cars parked at UCLA over the past several months, police said.
After inspecting the suspects’ apartment Wednesday night, police
found more stolen equipment, said university police assistant chief
Karl Ross.
University police officers noted that while two burglary
suspects are still on the loose, the case and ensuing investigation
will likely clear up a series of burglaries from UCLA’s parking
lots and structures that have occurred over the past several
months, and police were relatively pleased with the results.
"It’s like going into the big game," said university police
Chief Clarence Chapman. "You can prepare for it, but you don’t know
how everyone will do once they get in (the situation). Everyone did
exactly as they were supposed to, and I was very happy with the way
things went," he said.