Two armed thieves led authorities on a wild pursuit from Lancaster to downtown L.A. on Sunday night, authorities said, stealing three vehicles, driving a big rig in the wrong direction on the 10 Freeway — and still managing to escape.
The chase began with a carjacking in Lancaster about 9:45 p.m., according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. Two armed men stole a man’s white F-250 Ford pickup and fired gunshots at the victim as he attempted to pursue them.
The carjackers then fled southbound along State Route 14 toward Los Angeles. Sheriff’s deputies pursued the pickup for 26 miles, after which the California Highway Patrol took over.
The thieves then abandoned the pickup and carjacked a second vehicle, this time a big rig, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Footage captured by OnScene.TV shows the big rig weaving through oncoming traffic as it hurtles in the wrong direction down the westbound lanes of the 10 Freeway. The carjackers ditched the big rig while exiting the 10 near Alameda Street in downtown L.A., authorities said.
The police pursuit culminated at the Mission Road exit of the 101 Freeway, where authorities found an abandoned white pickup truck.
(OnScene.TV)
They then carjacked their third vehicle, a white Chevrolet Silverado truck, and continued to lead the CHP in pursuit.
They drove just three miles farther before abandoning the Silverado on Mission Road under the 101 Freeway underpass, where they escaped around two hours after the initial Ford F-250 robbery took place.
A loaded firearm was later recovered from the back seat of the F-250. Authorities believe additional suspects may have participated in the Lancaster robbery and picked up the fleeing suspects after they got out of the Silverado.
Anyone with further information on the incident is asked to contact Det. Casebolt at the Lancaster sheriff’s station at (661) 524-2171.
