Los Angeles authorities are investigating a harrowing pursuit that ended in Malibu on Tuesday after a kidnapping suspect crashed a stolen car carrying three children, including a toddler, according to a report from CBS News.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the chase began around East Los Angeles, where the suspect allegedly stole a vehicle near 5105 East Olympic Boulevard. Deputies initially responded but later handed over the pursuit to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
Inside the stolen vehicle were three children, one of them a toddler, police confirmed. The chase stretched into Malibu as the suspect reached speeds of roughly 65 mph along the Pacific Coast Highway. The pursuit ended when the man collided with another vehicle at the intersection of PCH and Kanan Dume Road near Point Dume, CBS News reported.
Despite the crash, the suspect fled on foot, leaving the children behind. Witnesses said he appeared barefoot as he ran through nearby fields and even scaled a barbed-wire fence, discarding some of his clothing along the way.
Emergency responders, including officers and firefighters, immediately tended to the three children, who were conscious and breathing after the collision. Authorities later confirmed that the children, along with another injured person, were airlifted to UCLA Medical Center following evaluation by paramedics.
The CHP said one person was detained shortly after the crash, though the identity of the suspect has not yet been confirmed.
Authorities have not released further updates on the children’s conditions or whether the suspect faces kidnapping and car theft charges.
The incident remains under investigation.