A man suspected of riding a stolen dirt bike led Los Angeles police on an hourlong pursuit Wednesday evening before being taken into custody in South Los Angeles, according to the LAPD.
The chase began around 5:45 p.m. near Dodger Stadium after officers identified the rider, described as a man in his early 20s, as possibly armed. About six LAPD patrol vehicles and a police helicopter tracked the suspect as the pursuit moved through surface streets toward the Broadway-Manchester neighborhood.
Aerial footage from NewsChopper4 showed the rider traveling on the wrong side of the road at multiple points and appearing to clip a car’s side mirror during the chase. The pursuit also passed through Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park and Athens Park in the Willowbrook area, where young football players were practicing at the time.
Around 6:20 p.m., the rider stopped at a gas station on Alameda Street in Huntington Park in an apparent attempt to refuel, but fled as officers approached, leaving part of the gas pump hose attached to the bike.
The pursuit ended on 111th Street after the rider ran out of gas. He abandoned the dirt bike, which police say had been reported stolen, and ran through several backyards before hiding inside a blue recycling bin. Officers located him there and took him into custody near 112th Street and Broadway around 6:45 p.m.
According to the LAPD, the suspect is expected to face felony charges of evading police and possession of a stolen vehicle. No injuries were reported in connection with the pursuit.