After a witness tailed a man suspected of robbing an Alhambra 7-Eleven, the suspect was arrested by pursuing police on a high school campus in tony San Marino early Sunday.
The incident began after Alhambra police got a "silent alarm" call from a 7-Eleven at Garfield Avenue and Atlantic Boulevard (map) at about 11:20 p.m. Saturday.
A witness followed the robber's white getaway vehicle east on Huntington Drive to a spot where the suspect stopped, calling authorities en route, Alhambra Police Sgt. Jerry Johnson said. Police arrived and tried to detain the man.
"With the assistance of the witness, Alhambra police located the suspect in his vehicle," Johnson said. "The suspect fled on foot, and shots were fired by the officers."
Johnson told City News Service that the suspect "made furtive movements toward his waistband."
The suspect, identified as 42-year-old William Paul Bolczak, ran across Huntington Drive and "an officer-involved shooting occurred," police said.
Bolczak hid behind a bush on the campus of San Marino High School, about 2 1/2 miles from the 7-Eleven, police said.
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Another officer-involved shooting occurred at the school, the press release stated. A perimeter was set up and police searched for the suspect for several hours until he was detained at 6:30 a.m.
The community at the school was notified via email, a parent said.
Numerous police agencies assisted with the perimeter and a regional SWAT team was called out to search the campus, police said.
Authorities said Bolczak was not struck by police gunfire.
Bolczak was being held at the Alhambra Police Department with bail set at $65,000, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's inmate information website.
