Suspected Car Thief Gave Police the Slip, Passenger in Custody

HERMOSA BEACH, CA -- A search for a car thief ended Friday after authorities couldn't locate the man, but police have the passenger in custody.

The search began as a stolen vehicle pursuit in Manhattan Beach and ended in Hermosa Beach i the 2800 block of Tennyson Place, Hermosa police said. The suspect abandoned the vehicle sometime before 3 a.m. in the area of 30th Street and Gould Avenue, said Lt. Joe Aiello of the Manhattan Beach Police Department.

A passenger was taken into custody at the scene by Manhattan police. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Torrance, he said.

Manhattan police enlisted the help of the Hermosa Beach Police Department to set up a perimeter to search for the man, which involved the use of a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter.

The search was called off around 5:15 a.m.

-- City News Service contributed to this story, photo courtesy of HBPD