A rape suspect led Huntington Beach police on a chase into Norwalk Thursday with his two children in the car, then jumped about 30 feet from an overpass when he crashed the vehicle and tried to flee on foot, authorities said.
The two young children, who sustained minor injuries, were recovered by officers who chased the vehicle on northbound freeways into Los Angeles County, according to Huntington Beach police Officer Angela Bennett.
Bennett said a woman called police at 2:35 p.m. to report a man driving off with her two children. The report prompted the chase that ended around 3 p.m. on the transition road from the northbound San Gabriel River (605) Freeway to the westbound Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway, according to the CHP.
The suspect slammed into a guardrail on the transition road, prompting the airbags to deploy. He then got out of the car and tried to flee, but jumped over a guardrail, making a hard landing on a parking lot below, where he was seen writhing in pain as police surrounded him.
A woman had gone to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lakewood Station on Wednesday to report that she was forcibly raped by the suspect, authorities said.
"An investigation ensued and the suspect was ultimately located by Huntington Beach Police Department officers this afternoon...in the city of Huntington Beach," but he got into his vehicle with both of his children inside and fled from police, who went into pursuit, according to Deputy Joana Warren of the L.A. County Sheriff's Information Bureau.
"The suspect was seriously injured from the jump and subsequently taken into custody without further incident," Warren said. "He was transported to a local hospital where he is being treated for injuries."
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The man's name was not released. His children sustained minor injuries in the crash and were also taken to a hospital for treatment, Warren said.
"The suspect has no scheduled court date at this time and formal charges are pending," she said. "The investigation is on-going and will be handled by both the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Special Victims Bureau and the Huntington Beach Police Department."
