California Man Steals Multiple Vehicles, Rams Into Police Cruiser During Dangerous Chase Through Streets of LA and OC

A California man was apprehended Wednesday night in Los Angeles after leading police on a dangerous chase in which he seized multiple vehicles and rammed into several other automobiles.

ABC7 reported that it was around 5 p.m. when the suspect was racing on Anaheim's streets in a black Honda Civic sedan. AIR7 HD helicopter covered the chase. At one point, the California man stopped, got out of the vehicle, and tried to steal a pickup truck.

When he could not get into the vehicle, he went back into the sedan, parked it, and ran into what looked like a townhome complex. The California man then climbed into a white van, but a Fullerton police officer parked a cruiser behind it. That's when the suspect reversed and repeatedly hit the cruiser until he was able to drive around it and speed away.

California Man Reached Two Counties During Wild Chase

People watching FOX 11's live streaming compared the police chase to the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise as the crime spree progressed.

The dangerous pursuit continued through Fullerton, Anaheim, and Santa in Orange County Ana before the suspect abandoned the white van at Whittier in Los Angeles County, where one of the van's back tires blew out.

The suspect then entered a nearby property, where he was stopped by two dogs and the residents after leading police on a brief foot pursuit. But he entered a white pickup truck parked in the driveway and drove off.

Andres Benitez, the owner of the stolen pickup, told FOX 11 that they had just bought the vehicle three weeks ago, adding that the family had saved up for it. The California man then continued to squeeze through traffic in Hacienda Heights, where he ran red lights and sideswiped multiple vehicles.

He eventually crashed at a gas station near Gale Avenue and Hacienda Boulevard in Los Angeles County after police rammed the vehicle from behind. The driver was surrounded by deputies, who fired shots, ending the chase that lasted nearly an hour and a half. He stayed in the truck even after it caught fire underneath.

Police then used fire extinguishers to put out the flames before they broke the driver's side window and pulled him out. The California man was placed onto a gurney and loaded into an ambulance to bring him to a hospital. No one knows the suspect's condition, but he seemed to be able to walk on his own during his arrest.

California Police Chase Started on a Traffic Violation

According to Fullerton Police Captain John Radus, the chase started when the suspect refused to stop after committing a traffic violation near Auto Center Drive and the 5 Freeway in Fullerton, KTLA reported. Police said the suspect, whose identity has not yet been released, was also wanted for a stolen vehicle and assault with a deadly weapon.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Full Chase: Suspect Rams Cars, Steals Van and Truck During SoCal Pursuit - From ABC7