Robbery suspect leads authorities on high-speed chase with baby in the back seat
By Matthew Rodriguez
Click here for updates on this story
HAWTHORNE, California (KCAL) — A robbery suspect from Hawthorne led deputies and police on a high-speed chase while a baby sat in his car Wednesday afternoon.
The alleged robbery happened in Beverly Hills. The Hawthorne Police Department started the pursuit before the suspects jumped out of the car. However, one of them allegedly jumped into another car.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it initially helped the Hawthorne police track the suspects but eventually took over the pursuit.
While the chase started in Hawthrone, the driver led deputies and police into the West LA area.
The suspect recklessly evaded police, blowing through red lights at more than 60 mph and driving on the wrong side of the road during rush-hour traffic. During the pursuit, the suspect live-streamed himself evading police while a woman yelled in the background. She pleaded with him to let her and their baby out of the car. However, it wasn’t until much later that they could exit the car safely.
The suspect allegedly carjacked his girlfriend’s car, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
After winding through several dense streets around Culver City, the suspect drove into a dead end in a Blair Hills neighborhood. Deputies quickly blocked the only way out and exited their vehicles.
During the standoff, the driver grabbed a baby and placed it on his lap.
He exited the car with the baby while a woman exited the rear passenger seat. He proceeded to hug and kiss his girlfriend before surrendering to deputies.
Some deputies placed both adults into handcuffs while others tried to comfort the infant.
“My concern was the baby,” said Adriana Martinez, one of the deputies who cared for the baby. She was crying, and I just wanted to comfort her. My motherly instincts kicked in, and I tried to soothe her, stop her from crying.”
Tony Lomedico, another deputy in the pursuit, expressed his motivation to end the pursuit.
“As a father, you just can’t put yourself in that position as a good father,” Lomedico said. “When you see a father do that to their child, it strikes a chord in you that you want to make sure you do everything in your power to bring this guy to justice.”
The Culver City Fire Department examined the child at the end of the pursuit. The infant appeared to be unharmed.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
