Pursuits of 2 stolen LAPD cruisers end in crashes in South LA; 3 teens in custody

LOS ANGELES (FOX 11 / CNS) - Three teenage suspects were in custody Thursday for allegedly stealing two police cruisers and leading authorities on chases that both ended with crashes in South Los Angeles.

Police located the two stolen police vehicles about 9:35 p.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of East 61st Street, between San Pedro Street and Avalon Boulevard, Officer Tony Im of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Division said.

Investigators were still working to determine how the vehicles were stolen and from where. The Los Angeles Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that police were investigating the possible involvement of two juvenile LAPD cadets in the thefts, which may have occurred from the department's 77th Division Station in South Los Angeles.

Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck is expected to provide details on the investigation during an afternoon news conference.

Police pursued both vehicles Wednesday night, with one of the purloined cruisers crashing in the area of 77th and San Pedro streets where the driver was taken into custody, police said. The other stolen vehicle crashed into another vehicle at Adams Boulevard and Central Avenue, and that driver was also was taken into custody.

The female driver of the vehicle the suspect crashed into was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, police said. It wasn't immediately clear how the third suspect was involved in the incident.

An officer crashed into a civilian vehicle near the intersection of Gage Avenue and Broadway during the chase, police said. There were no reports of any serious injuries involved in that crash.

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