Los Angeles police in pursuit of stolen Children’s Hospital bus

By Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL/KCBS) — Police were in pursuit of a bus stolen from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Police Department, the agency that started the pursuit, said the suspect carjacked the bus from the Hollywood area. The Children’s Hospital said two employees were on the bus when it was stolen at about 7:10 p.m.

However, they got off before the chase started. The hospital said it uses the bus to transport staff to off-site parking lots.

The suspect led officers onto the CA-170 Freeway before going offroad and barrelling through oncoming traffic on the Victory Boulevard onramp in Valley Glen. The stolen bus narrowly missed several cars and briefly lost ground units during the brazen maneuver.

Officers from LAPD’s North Hollywood Division caught up to the suspect shortly after. The driver continued to lead police through the southern San Fernando Valley area while recklessly blowing through red lights and narrowly missing other cars. Police discontinued the chase on the ground after the reckless driving.

LAPD briefly resumed the pursuit after it entered the Van Nuys area. However, officers stopped the chase a few minutes later and only monitored it from the air.

The suspect drove aimlessly around the San Fernando Valley before ditching the bus next to a Home Depot at the Arminta Street and Nollan Place intersection in Panorama City. The driver disappeared after running into the hardware store.

Police walked out of the Home Depot with a person in handcuffs after a brief search.

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