SANTA MONICA—On Wednesday, March 26, at approximately 5:45 p.m., the Simi Valley Police Department(SVPD) began a high-speed chase of a stolen work van taken from WorldAppliances Heating and Air Conditioning in Santa Clarita.
The chase started when the license plate tag readers alerted SVPD officers in Ventura County and ensued across county lines between the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles and onto the 405 Freeway. AIR7 assisted in the pursuit.
The suspect was exceeding speeds of 80 mph, weaving through traffic, driving the wrong way, hitting a wall, and crashing into two vehicles before fleeing on foot to the Santa Monica Pier.
The officers took down the suspect, later identified as 21-year-old, Alex Villegas, at the entrance of the pier. Reports indicate that he willingly surrendered wearing a smile all the while.
Although there were multiple crashes in this pursuit, there were no physical injuries reported.
SVPD indicated that Villegas was booked on two counts of hit-and-run, possession of a stolen vehicle, and evading police.
It is not clear which jail the suspect was booked into. As of March 27, the name Alex Villegas did not appear on the inmate locator for either the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) or the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.
By Sharon