Two injured in robbery pursuit crash, search for suspect

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (FOX 11 / CNS) - Three robbery suspects were in custody following a multi-vehicle collision in East Hollywood today that left two of them injured, police reported.

The chain of events began about 12:30 a.m. in the area of Santa Monica Boulevard and Kingsley Drive, where a police detective in an unmarked car spotted the driver of a black Toyota Camry commit a traffic violation,
according to Officer Liliana Preciado of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section.

The detective activated the forward-facing red light on his unmarked car, but did not pursue the Camry, Preciado said.

The Toyota's driver took off southbound on Normandie Avenue, where the car initially collided with one vehicle near the intersection of Normandie and Melrose avenues, followed by two other vehicles, she said.

Two of the suspects fled on foot and the other man, who was trapped inside the Camry, was freed from the wreckage and taken to a hospital with moderate injuries, Preciado said.

A perimeter was set up and the second suspect was taken into custody.

The third suspect was tracked down within the perimeter, in the area of Melrose and Normandie avenues, about 5 a.m. and taken to a hospital with moderate injuries, she said.

About an hour prior to the crash, the three suspects were allegedly involved in a robbery in the LAPD's Rampart station area, Preciado said. The victim's property, as well as a semiautmatic handgun, were found inside the
Camry, police said.

The suspects, described as men between the ages of 18 and 25, were booked on suspicion of robbery, Preciado said. Their names were not immediately released.