CULVER CITY (CNS) – A 45-year-old armed carjacking suspect was in custody Wednesday after he allegedly attempted to run over pedestrians before and during an hour-long pursuit with police officers.
Officers responded at approximately 7 p.m. Tuesday to reports of a felony hit-and-run collision near Centinela Avenue and Washington Boulevard that injured four pedestrians, Culver City Police Department spokeswoman Jennifer Atenza told City News Service.
Atenza said that while officers were responding to that collision, another hit-and-run crash was reported in the 3800 block of Sepulveda Boulevard, where a motorist identified as Juan Luis Estrada of Perris struck another vehicle before fleeing the scene.
Atenza added that about an hour before the initial hit-and-run, officers received reports about a suspect involved in a carjacking in downtown Los Angeles. Estrada allegedly was armed with a knife moments before he carjacked a white Toyota Camry, with one of the victims managing to report the license plate number to officers.
“Our officers put the plate into our camera system, and then simultaneously, they were getting calls from multiple vehicle-versus-pedestrian incidents involving the same vehicle. Our officers tracked down the vehicle,” Atenza said.
The vehicle was located by officers at approximately 7:26 p.m. Tuesday near Centinela Avenue. Officers attempted an enforcement stop, but Estrada chose not to comply, authorities said.
That’s when the pursuit began, with the suspect driving recklessly in Culver City, traveling through multiple red lights, driving in opposite lanes and weaving recklessly around other vehicles, she said. Officers observed Estrada then allegedly attempting to intentionally run over pedestrians.
“The suspect’s actions created a clear and immediate danger to community members and demonstrated a complete disregard for human life,” she said.
One adult victim was struck near Braddock Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard, while two juvenile victims were struck shortly afterward while riding an E-bike near Culver Boulevard and Le Bourget Avenue.
According to Atenza, the suspect then struck another pedestrian near Canfield Avenue and Culver Boulevard before continuing to flee from officers.
“Officers … observed the suspect repeatedly steer toward pedestrians who were in or near the roadway. Based on their observations, officers believed the suspect was intentionally attempting to strike pedestrians,” police said.
The pedestrian victims ranged from 15 to 70 years-old, and all were expected to survive their injuries, according to the CCPD.
The chase continued into Los Angeles, ending near Washington Boulevard and Olive Street downtown when Estrada crashed head-on into another vehicle in a restaurant driveway.
According to Atenza, a Culver City police officer pursuing Estrada also crashed into the vehicle, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Following the collision, Estrada attempted to run away but was ultimately captured and taken into custody, police said.
He apparently sustained injuries during the pursuit and was taken to a hospital for treatment.
It was not clear what might have motivated Estrada to allegedly target the pedestrians. He was booked into the Culver City Jail on suspicion of carjacking, felony evading, battery, resisting arrest and attempted murder.
Additional charges were expected as detectives continue investigating and reviewing evidence, surveillance footage and witness statements, Atenza said.
Anyone with information about the case was urged to contact the Culver City Police Department watch commander at 310-253-6202.
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