LOS ANGELES, CA – A chaotic series of events unfolded on Wednesday afternoon, beginning with a hit-and-run accident on the 134 Freeway and culminating in a police-involved shooting in a nearby neighborhood. Authorities are still searching for two suspects who fled the scene of the crash, while a third man has been taken into custody.
The incident began around 3:30 p.m. when a collision involving three vehicles occurred on the eastbound lanes of the 134 Freeway near Figueroa Street. Witnesses reported seeing three men exit one of the vehicles and run toward a nearby residential area.
Among the witnesses were a brother and sister traveling on the freeway, who noticed one of the suspects attempting to escape on foot. Despite his injuries, the suspect managed to cross the freeway, jump over a fence, and run down an embankment, pursued by the siblings.
The chase ended on Waldo Place near Eagle Vista Drive, where police apprehended the suspect, who had stripped down to his underwear in an attempt to blend into the neighborhood. Officers found him trying to hide by watering plants and swimming in a pool.
Meanwhile, as police established a perimeter to search for the remaining suspects, a woman emerged from a residence on Eagle Vista Drive armed with a gun. Officers fired at the woman, injuring her shoulder. She was determined to be the homeowner and not connected to the suspects. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and her child’s babysitter was released at the scene.
Another woman involved in the original crash was also hospitalized with moderate injuries. The investigation into the officer-involved shooting and the search for the two remaining suspects are ongoing.