The driver of a reportedly stolen white Mercedes-Benz SUV led law enforcement on a meandering, slow-speed chase across South Los Angeles Thursday night before being taken into custody following a PIT maneuver near downtown, according to the California Highway Patrol.
How the South Los Angeles Pursuit Began
The pursuit began a few minutes before 10 p.m. on Thursday. Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in the Paramount area started a brief pursuit after receiving word that a white Mercedes-Benz SUV had been stolen in the Lakewood area on the westbound 91 from Long Beach.
Following that initial alert, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department requested assistance from the California Highway Patrol, handing off the operation as a fleet of law enforcement vehicles gathered to follow the suspect through South L.A. surface streets and highways. The driver refused to pull over, even after at least one rear tire was punctured by a spike strip.
Low Speeds and Erratic Maneuvers on Surface Streets
For much of the nearly 40-minute journey, the driver behaved in an unusual manner for a high-profile pursuit. Sgt. Christian Stevens of the California Highway Patrol noted that the driver appeared to stop at red lights and obey traffic laws during portions of the route, though he consistently refused to pull over or comply with officers’ requests to get out of the vehicle.
The duration of the incident spanned from 9:58 p.m. to 10:36 p.m., encompassing numerous turns throughout the city.
Sgt. Christian Stevens of the California Highway Patrol stated that the chase went all throughout Los Angeles, noting that the driver made many turns, that they were notified at about 9:58 p.m., and that they got the driver into custody at 10:36 p.m.
Spike Strips and Freeways
As the vehicle traveled north on Western Avenue roughly 15 minutes into the chase, law enforcement attempted to throw a spike strip in front of the vehicle’s tires to deflate them, but that initial effort was unsuccessful and he kept driving. A subsequent attempt at 10:17 p.m., when an officer threw another spike strip under the SUV, successfully deflated at least one rear tire. Not long after, video showed the vehicle swerving between lanes.
Near the intersection of Western Avenue and Browning Boulevard, the driver pulled over. After stepping out of the vehicle, Stevens said, the driver did not comply with officers’ requests, and video showed him shouting, raising his arms, and gesticulating wildly. He then got back into the car to continue northbound on Western, driving at a speed of just 5 to 10 miles per hour, before aerial footage from NewsChopper4 captured him getting out of the car again to shout something to officers before getting back in and driving off.
Just before 10:30 p.m., the driver steered the SUV onto the eastbound Interstate 10. Traveling at a speed of around 20 mph—or 15 to 20 miles per hour—the Mercedes swerved across lanes with an apparent flat back tire while at least four CHP vehicles followed.
The PIT Maneuver and Arrest Downtown
The pursuit concluded just west of the 110 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles. California Highway Patrol officers disabled the car by conducting a successful PIT maneuver on the eastbound 10 Freeway.
Following the maneuver, the Mercedes swung around and was surrounded by law enforcement vehicles. Video footage showed the driver stepping out with his hands up — only to swiftly step back inside. Officers then approached the vehicle, smashed the front passenger window while others approached the driver’s side door and dragged him out, held him down on the ground, handcuffed him, and took him into custody.
The suspect, identified by the California Highway Patrol as Luis Gutierrez, was booked about 8 a.m. Friday at the Inmate Reception Center in downtown L.A., according to Stevens. Gutierrez was charged with stealing a vehicle and attempting to evade police.