Wild Scene on the 110 Arroyo Seco Parkway as Officers Chase, Wrestle Suspected Carjacker in Lanes

A failed carjacking in South Pasadena about 2 p.m. Monday afternoon led to a chaotic scene on the northbound SR-110 Arroyo Seco Parkway as police chased the suspect in traffic lanes and a motorcyclist crashed into a car which had stopped to avoid them.

South Pasadena Police Sgt. Matt Ronnie said shortly before the freeway foot pursuit the suspect had demanded a motorist hand over his car keys during an encounter in the 1800 block of State Street.

When the motorist refused the suspect allegedly attempted to choke the victim, before fleeing, jumping a chain-link fence, and running down onto the freeway.

Ronnie said the suspect tried to flag down cars in an apparent effort to carjack them.

“We showed up and found him in the northbound lanes of the 110 freeway talking to some motorist,” Ronnie said.

South Pasadena officers chased and grappled with the suspect, eventually taking him into custody.

Pasadena police officers were called to the scene and assisted.

Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema said “at the same time officers were wrestling with [the suspect] on the freeway, a motorcycle came up and hit another car and went flying.”

Ronnie said the collision “resulted from the fact that we were out in the middle of the freeway lanes trying to keep from getting hit and a motorcyclist wasn’t paying attention and rear-ended a car that came to a stop.”

Hettema said the motorcyclist suffered a serious leg injury. The injured motorcyclist was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The suspect may have been under the influence of drugs, according to a witness account.

Ronnie said the suspect is 32-year-old Los Angeles resident Gary Lawmixon. He was booked on attempted robbery, Ronnie said.

No police officers were injured during the incident.

The motorcyclist’s condition is not known.