Suspect in Custody After Ocean Park Chase

A man suspected of stealing a Jeep led police on a chase early Saturday morning through the Ocean Park neighborhood and onto the beach.

The shirtless thief was arrested near 125 Pacific sometime after the pursuit got underway at 1 a.m. His name was not immediately available, said Santa Monica Police Sgt. Richard Lewis.

About 1 a.m. officers patrolling the 2300-2400 blocks of Ocean came upon a parked, stolen Jeep.  A man was in the driver's seat, but he ran out of the car and onto the beach, Lewis said.

"We conducted a search and did not locate him," he said. "Twenty minutes later, we got calls of a shirtless male running on...property [at] Ocean and Pacific."

Lewis said officers erected a perimeter and were able to take the man into custody when he tried to run across 125 Pacific and onto Neilson.

The Jeep was recovered, he said.