Pursuit Ends With Suspects Entering Thousand Oaks Mall, Changing Clothes, And Escaping
THOUSAND OAKS (CBSLA) - Three pursuit suspects were able to escape from officers Monday after fleeing from their vehicle, running into a mall in Thousand Oaks, and changing their clothes.
California Highway Patrol began pursuing a speeding Mercedes on the southbound 5 Freeway near Smokey Bear Road at 11:04 p.m.
CHP air units reported speeds as high as 130-miles-per-hour, the car was passing on the shoulder and center dividers.
The suspects were able to evade CHP near Magic Mountain Parkway and continued on towards Thousand Oaks.
The suspects eventually made their way to The Oaks mall off the 101 Freeway where they fled from the vehicle into a Macy's.
Ventura County Sheriffs assisted CHP in finding the suspects inside the mall, but search efforts were called off once investigators determined the suspects were no longer in the mall.
The suspects were said to have dropped two bags while inside.
"A Louis Vuitton bag full of some items...And then articles of clothing in a Footlocker bag," said an officer. "So at some point, I guess they entered the Footlocker and changed clothes."
The Mercedes, that did not have license plates, was being processed by investigators.