Saturday Car Crash Leads to Stolen Car Recovery, Two Are Detained

What started as an alert citizen’s call reporting a single car crash turned into the recovery of a stolen car stolen and the detention of two inured suspects early Saturday around 6:30 p.m., police said.

The wreck occurred near the intersection of Colorado Blvd. and Annandale Road when the stolen vehicle, reportedly driven by 20-year-old Monica Cruz, a Los Angeles resident, smashed into a retaining wall, Pasadena police Ly. Jason Clawson said.

Immediately thereafter, a woman and two men fled the scene, Clawson said.

Responding officers scoured the neighborhood and took Cruz and a man, Manuel Navarro, 21, of Altadena, into custody, Clawson said.

Both suspects were injured from the crash. Navarro was transported to a local hospital and when sufficiently recovered will be booked into the Pasadena jail for grand theft auto and hit and run, Clawson said.

Cruz was released pending further investigation, Clawson said.

Clawson said the car had been stolen in Pasadena and might have been involved in other illegal activities conducted by the suspects. The car received moderate damage from the crash, he noted.