Port of Los Angeles officials showed off new security measures Friday after last week's breach in which a man being chased by police in a stolen SUV was able to drive into a secure terminal area and climb a crane before jumping or falling to his death.
"Last week's incident involving a subject in a stolen car illegally entering one of our terminals is something we will learn from and we have taken immediate interim steps to correct," Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said Friday. "There is nothing more important than the safety of our workers and the security of our port complex."
Those interim steps include modifications to access points at the West Basin Container Terminal, along with additional security personnel and road barriers.
Last week's chase began about 3:10 p.m. on Aug. 16, when officers with the LAPD's Wilshire Division began chasing a white Subaru SUV driven by 23-year-old James Llamas.
Authorities tracked Llamas as he raced along streets and the Harbor (110) Freeway, driving on the wrong side of roads and scraping the SUV against K-rails along the way before heading into the harbor area.
Llamas, wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey, drove through the terminal area before bailing out of the still-rolling vehicle around 6:15 p.m. He climbed a gantry crane and perched himself several stories above the piers and channels on the waterfront, where at various times he danced around and lounged on his back before stripping off his clothes.
Law enforcement officers and firefighters positioned themselves below and crews, including divers, waited in boats, ready to attempt a rescue or recovery if the suspect jumped or fell into the water.
About 8:10 p.m. the suspect plunged about 160 feet and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Amy Bastman of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
