Police Pursuit In Manhattan Beach Ends In Crash

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The driver of a reportedly stolen car led Manhattan Beach police on a chase that ended when the driver of the Kia slammed into an oncoming MB police SUV around 6 p.m. Thursday, according to MBPD Lt. Andrew Enriquez, who spoke with Manhattan Beach Patch on scene. The suspect was apprehended a short distance away in a residential area after fleeing the scene.

Both the driver of the car and the MBPD officer were not injured in the crash, which brought nearby residents to the sidewalks on Rosecrans and Pacific avenues and Laurel Avenue, the street the suspect fled on, to check out the action.

Manhattan Beach resident Violet Salinas told MB Patch she heard the sirens and looked outside from her home on Pacific Avenue. "I saw this SUV ram the car," she said. "I thought it was an accident until I saw the guy [driver] run out and two or three policemen chase him." She went to lock the doors to her guest house since she figured the suspect might jump backyard fences while attempting to elude police.

Another neighbor said his gardener saw police tackle the male suspect and take him into custody just behind a parked car.