Car chase leads to arrests following police containment of South Hermosa Beach

A police officer patrols a south Hermosa Beach neighborhood while searching for suspects who fled a stolen car.

A police officer patrols a south Hermosa Beach neighborhood while searching for suspects who fled a stolen car.

A North Lucia resident’s call to Redondo Beach police Thursday afternoon about two suspicious acting men led to a car chase that ended with a crash in Hermosa Beach and the arrest of 24-year-old Eric Lara of Torrance and 24-year-old Ryan Spanzione of Diamond Bar.

When Redondo Beach police arrived at caller’s neighborhood, in the 500 block of North Lucia, they saw the two suspects flee in a late model Volvo. A chase ensued through Redondo Beach to First Street in Hermosa Beach, where the suspects turned north on Barney Court and hit a utility pole, according to Redondo Beach Lt. Todd Heyward.

Suspects allegedly stole this late model Volvo in Los Angeles. Photo

After the suspects fled the car on foot, police set up a containment area between Prospect Avenue on the east, Pacific Coast Highway on the West, Aviation Boulevard on the north and 190th Street on south. K9 teams from Redondo, and seven other local police agencies, as well as a Redondo police drone, and police helicopters searched the area.

Police set up a command post to coordinage K9 teams from eight local agencies. Photo

“Police knocked on our door multiple times telling us to stay inside and that they were going to search our yards, including our trash, and heater closets. They had guns drawn and were doing a good job, but it was scary,” the resident said

After a five hour search, one of the suspects was found hiding in a crawlspace on Hopkins Avenue and the other was found in the exterior stairwell of a Fourth Street house. A K9 team found one of the suspects and a police search team found the other suspect.

The two suspects were charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, evading arrest, resisting arrest and possession of dangerous drugs, according to Redondo Beach Lt. Heyward.

Torrance police chase

Also on Thursday, at approximately the same time as the Redondo Beach police chase that ended in Hermosa Beach, Torrance police chased down two suspects in another stolen car. The chase began at Hawthorne Boulevard and 182nd Street in Torrance and ended 10 minutes later at the intersection of Marine Avenue and Aviation Boulevard, on the borders of Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach. The two suspects were arrested. ER

ER

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