Armed Burglary Suspect Leads Police on Chase in Busy South Lake Shopping District Before Crashing

The suspect in a vehicle burglary refused to pull over when ordered by police Friday morning and led officers on a brief chase which ended when he crashed the stolen car he was driving, fled on foot, and was captured, according to authorities.

When officers searched the car the suspect crashed, they reportedly found a gun inside.

The pursuit began when officers, investigating the theft of a purse from inside a car about 11 a.m., spotted the suspect vehicle in nearby traffic in the 400 block of South Lake Avenue, according to Lt. Carlo Montiglio.

“They tried to initiate a traffic stop on the vehicle. The suspect failed to yield, a pursuit occurred,” Montiglio said. “They chased the suspect for a short period of time before he crashed into a tree in the 700 block of San Pasqual.”

The suspect fled on foot and the officers chased him, capturing him in the 1000 block of East California Blvd., Montiglio said.

The Porsche driven and crashed by the suspect had been stolen in Los Angeles, Montiglio said. Inside it, “officers recovered a handgun.”

Montiglio said the suspect, 38-year-old Oscar Nevarez of Los Angeles, was arrested and booked on multiple counts.