One man was arrested and another remains at large after a pursuit by Manhattan Beach Police officers came to an end in North Hermosa Beach early Friday morning, police said.
The chase began about 2 a.m. near the intersection of Artesia Boulevard and Prospect Avenue, when MBPD officers observed a white, late-model Chrysler 300 with paper plates, said MBPD Sgt. Tim Zins. About two hours earlier that night, the Hawthorne Police Department had sent out an alert to local departments about a stolen vehicle matching that description.
The officers pulled over the vehicle after observing the driver commit a traffic violation, and were going to investigate the possibility that it was stolen when the driver took off, Zins said. The car led officers deeper into Manhattan Beach, then into Redondo Beach, before arriving in Hermosa.
The driver and the passenger abandoned the vehicle at the 2800 block of Tennyson Place, which deadends into a cul de sac, while the car was still moving, Zins said. The car rolled into a brick wall along the street, but was moving slowly enough that it did not cause serious damage.
With assistance from HBPD officers and a helicopter from the Los Angeles Police Department, officers set up a perimeter in the area and searched for the suspects, Zins said.
The perimeter was lifted about 5 a.m., according to an advisory message from the city of Hermosa.
Police were able to arrest the passenger, but the driver remains at large, Zins said. The passenger was booked on suspicion of conspiracy, receiving stolen property and possessing a stolen vehicle.
After booking the passenger at Manhattan City Jail, officers learned that the car used in the pursuit had not been stolen earlier that night in Hawthorne, but had in fact was reported stolen in Torrance on Nov. 30.
