LOS ANGELES, CA – A robbery suspect driving a Mercedes-Benz allegedly crashed into at least six parked vehicles near USC in University Park early Wednesday after a brief police pursuit, and the driver ran off before officers arrived, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The pursuit began at 1:58 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, near Olive Street and Washington Boulevard, when officers from the LAPD’s Central Division went after the Mercedes, LAPD Media Relations Officer Cervantes said. The car later crashed in the 1200 block of West 30th Street, a residential block near the USC campus.
Cervantes said the suspect had been involved in a robbery before the pursuit began. No injuries were reported.
The driver remained at large Wednesday morning.
One-minute pursuit ends when officers lose sight of the car
LAPD Media Relations said the pursuit lasted about one minute, from 1:58 a.m. to 1:59 a.m. Officers then lost sight of the vehicle as it sped away.
The car was a silver Mercedes-Benz convertible. Officers located it about five minutes after they lost sight of it.
The department described the pursuit as brief. It did not say how fast the car was traveling or which streets it used between Olive Street and West 30th Street.
Mercedes found among parked vehicles on West 30th Street
The Mercedes had crashed into parked vehicles along West 30th Street, in an area with many students. Early counts put the number of struck vehicles at six, and later counts said at least seven, according to initial reports.
The block lies in University Park, a residential neighborhood just north of the USC campus. The crash left damaged vehicles along the curb.
Central Division officers said the Mercedes was recovered and returned to its owner.
Driver fled on foot before officers arrived
Central Division officers said the suspect ran from the crash scene on foot and was not immediately located. The LAPD had not released a description of the suspect or details of the original robbery.
No injuries were reported among the people connected to the crash or the parked vehicles that were struck.
Original call came from Figueroa Street
The original call to Central Division was a report of grand theft auto in the 1800 block of Figueroa Street, according to initial reports. In that call, a suspect allegedly struck a victim and took the victim’s keys.
Cervantes described the suspect as having been involved in a robbery before the pursuit. The department has not said how the Figueroa Street call was classified in its final report.
Central Division covers downtown and surrounding areas
The Central Community Police Station, at 251 E. 6th Street, is responsible for police operations in downtown Los Angeles. Officers from that station began the pursuit.
The LAPD publishes crime statistics for the area in its COMPSTAT Central Area Profile, which includes robbery counts for the period from Aug. 23 to Sept. 19. The profile covers the division that handled this case.
How LAPD pursuit rules and data apply
The LAPD Department Manual sets out the department’s rules for vehicle pursuits, including a section titled “Initiation of a Vehicle Pursuit.” As summarized in the LAPD Manual, officers may pursue a suspect vehicle when there is reasonable suspicion or probable cause that a felony or a qualifying misdemeanor has occurred. They must weigh the seriousness of the offense against the danger to the public.
The department has also reported on pursuits to the civilian oversight body. In a report to the Board of Police Commissioners dated April 25, 2023, the LAPD recorded 4,203 pursuits from 2018 through the year to date in 2023. Of those, 1,592 resulted in a traffic collision.
The same report said 1,032 pursuits, or 25 percent, ended in a collision with injury or death. Grand theft auto, or a stolen vehicle, was the most common reason for starting a pursuit, at 44 percent.
Suspect remains at large
The LAPD had not announced an arrest or identified the suspect. The investigation into the robbery and the crash remains active.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the LAPD Central Community Police Station at 213-486-6606.
