A pursuit that began when Whittier police tried to pull over a car for reckless driving continued on for more than 90 minutes tonight, before it ended with a peaceful surrender and the arrest of two people on a freeway in North Hollywood.
The pursuit began about 8:10 p.m. and authorities believed the driver was a known gang member, according to KCAL9.
The driver ran some red lights and drove relatively fast on surface streets between Whittier and Pico Rivera. He made a couple attempts to retreat to his home in Whittier, but fled when he saw that sheriff's deputies had staked out his home.
He then got on the northbound San Gabriel River (605) Freeway and then did not appear to be going faster than most traffic on the freeways.
At the north end of the 605, he went west on the Foothill (210) Freeway, then west on the Ventura (134) Freeway through Pasadena and Glendale.
Sgt. Denise Joslin of the said that he may have been under the influence of alcohol.
At 9:25, the driver pulled over to the side of the northbound Hollywood (170) Freeway north of Burbank Boulevard. After a few minutes, he emerged from the car, threw something onto the freeway, then began to obey police orders to exit the car and hugged the pavement.
He was handcuffed at 9:30, and moments later a young woman emerged from the car. She was also ordered to lay down and arrested on the freeway cement.
Patch reader William G. Stewart Eddins, who has sent us in some great photos before, sent in some photos of the aftermath of the chase and are attached.
According to him, the chase ended on Roscoe Boulevard just east of the 170.
We were watching the chase on TV. When the pursuit turned west on the 210 from the 605, I mentioned as I usually do, "Honey. They'll be coming through North Hollywood in about a half-hour." And right on time, I watched the through our front windows as the choppers headed north up the 170. It does seem that many of these pursuits end up coming through North Hollywood.
John J. Nazarian, P.I.