A 29-year-old man suspected of kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon is in custody after leading authorities on a long chase Saturday morning with two children in his vehicle that began in East Los Angeles and ended just outside San Dimas.
Dylan Lassiter of Arcadia was being held in lieu of $350,000 and was booked on suspicion of kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon on a deputy, the California Highway Patrol reported.
East Los Angeles sheriff's deputies notified the CHP at 12:30 a.m. that they were in pursuit of a vehicle on the eastbound Pomona (60) Freeway to the northbound Orange (57) Freeway.
The CHP was asked to take over the pursuit at 12:45 a.m. on the eastbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway near the Orange (57) Freeway. Lassiter led CHP officers onto several freeways in the Baldwin Park area, driving between 70 and 100 miles per hour in light traffic.
"As the pursuit approached I-10, eastbound at Kellogg Drive, traffic became heavy and the involved CHP supervisor advised all involved ground units to cancel their involvement in the pursuit," the CHP reported. "The involved airship maintained visual with the suspect vehicle."
"The suspect vehicle came upon stopped traffic, made a U-turn and began to travel westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-10, driving the wrong way," the CHP reported. "The CHP officers tried to intercept the wrong-way suspect vehicle. The suspect continued to drive the wrong way, failing to stop and intentionally struck two CHP vehicles."
The chase ended at 2:04 a.m. near Via Verde and the San Bernardino (10) Freeway, where Lassiter drove into a nearby construction zone and his vehicle became disabled.
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Two children were found in the vehicle unharmed and released to family, CHP Officer Tony Polizzi said. No information was released on their ages or their relationship to Lassiter.
