Tow Truck Driver Surrenders To Police In Glendale
VAN NUYS (CBS) — A tow truck driver, who led police on a chase for more than two hours through the Los Angeles area, surrendered in Glendale Tuesday night.
The driver was wanted for assault on a police officer, according to emergency dispatchers.
Portola Towing, of Lake Forest, told KCAL9 News that they own the truck.
Initially the towing company said one of their employees lent the truck to a friend to go do some errands. Later police reports indicated that the truck was being repaired for a water leak by a mechanic when his son took the vehicle without permission.
LAPD Lt. Andy Neiman said police were responding to a car accident in Van Nuys Tuesday. The mechanic's son also went to the accident at Woodman and Magnolia and was pretending to be a tow truck driver and take the cars involved. Police officers confronted the man about whether he was a legitimate tow truck driver. Police said an altercation ensued, prompting the suspect to assault an officer and drive off in the truck.
As of 4:50 p.m. the suspect was leading police officers away from Van Nuys and along surface streets of Studio City. Fifteen minutes later the driver was maneuvering through traffic in Hollywood, got as far as Los Feliz, and then circled back to Studio City by 6 p.m.
Throughout the pursuit the suspect avoided driving erratically -- despite a few illegal U-turns, he used his turn signals and drove within the speed limits.
The driver pulled over in Glendale and surrendered to police.
