Woman arrested for driving off in stolen van with 93-year-old man inside

A woman was taken into custody after a vehicle chase in Van Nuys Thursday in which she allegedly stole a passenger van occupied by a 93-year-old man being transported between senior care facilities, the Los Angeles Police Department said. 

The 93-year-old man was already in the van and as the driver was helping a second client get in, the suspect jumped inside and took off while the passenger door was wide open, officials said. 

"The only thing I could think was, I have to save this poor guy in my van," said Elliott Galynsky of Golden Age Adult Day Health Care Center. 

Galynsky said the passenger van had a tracking system that was activated when officers in the area of Riverside Drive and Woodman Avenue spotted the vehicle at about 9 a.m.

"There were helicopters and ground units," added Galynsky. 

The short pursuit ended in the area of Tyrone Avenue and Covello Street, where the woman was taken into custody without incident.

"My father-in-law had no seat belt on, the door is open and she is driving frantically," said Kambiz Merabi, the passenger's son-in-law. "My father-in-law held onto everything so he didn't fall out of the car." 

 The passenger was uninjured.