Watch Commander Scotty Stevens of LAPD Pacific Division is urging people in the neighborhood to think twice about leaving keys and fobs in their cars after a pursuit that began in Marina del Rey almost ended in disaster for one homeowner.
Early Thursday at approximately 1am, Pacific officers responded to a radio call reporting possible burglary suspects around the 3200 block of Carter Ave, behind Brennan’s Pub on Lincoln Blvd in Marina del Rey.
“Several units responded to the location to check the area. As they did, the officers observed a male and a female matching the description of the radio call, run to a silver KIA Soul, and enter the car,” says Stevens.
Headlights off, the suspects sped away onto Lincoln Blvd, traveling south toward Loyola Marymount. Construction workers helped point officers in the right direction after the couple in the Kia raced through construction zones at speeds of at least 80 mph.
“Officers in the area of 83rd and Lincoln observed the car still traveling at high speeds with no lights and a pursuit ensued. The pursuit traveled through Westchester, entering parking lots and side streets, and then east to Ladera Heights,” said Stevens.
Losing control at 58th and La Tijera, the Kia crashed into a house. While the car’s front bumper was smashed in, Stevens says the home had only minor damage, “a planter in the front yard was demolished and probably prevented the vehicle from going through the wall of the house,” said Stevens.
After both suspects were taken into custody, officers learned the man driving had stolen the car.
Stevens says the owner of the car “had made the mistake of leaving his remote key fob in the vehicle” to make it easier for a friend to later move the car.
With parking a premium in Venice, and many sharing tandem bays, Pacific Division says that it is more common than you would think to find neighbors leaving keys in cars to make it easier for people to move each other’s vehicles.
“Moral of the story. Don’t leave your fob in the car! If you do, when you get the car back, the front end will be gone,” says Stevens adding, “on a serious note, people need to exercise a little more caution.”
