Police pursuit, standoff ends as suspect flees on foot

The driver of a Hummer, with a handcuffs hanging on his rear-view mirror, led authorities on an hourslong pursuit with two children in the truck in Orange County Monday.

The pursuit ended in a standoff that was ongoing as of 8 p.m.

The chase began at 4:47 p.m. Monday in Buena Park when that city’s police department was contacted by its counterpart in Huntington Park, which feared a domestic violence situation had developed.

Before the dramatic end to the standoff, which was partly recorded by television news cameras, a police negotiator had been speaking with the driver via cellphone, trying to coax him to release the two children and his girlfriend. The children’s mother was also on the phone with negotiators, but there was never an indication that the suspect would turn himself in.

Much of the chase north from Los Angeles County was on the Santa Ana (5) Freeway.

“It appeared the driver noticed he was being followed right away”, Nunez said.

Buena Park police yielded the pursuit to the California Highway Patrol around 5:15 p.m.at Euclid Avenue in Anaheim, Nunez said. The woman in the vehicle was identified by police as the suspect’s girlfriend, and the case was initially reported as as a restraining order violation.

Near Anaheim, the California Highway Patrol took over as the lead agency.

The vehicle was driving erratically, moving to the shoulder of the freeway and weaving through heavy traffic. Near Tustin, the driver turned onto the southbound 55 Freeway before heading onto the southbound 405 Freeway. The suspect eventually exited Jamboree Road and traveled down through Newport Beach toward the coast. On freeways, he drove carefully, according to media reports.

Authorities chased the Hummer on streets and freeways. Dover was closed in both directions by Newport Beach police.