PACIFIC PALISADES—At about 7:20 on July 16, a man fled officers from the Los Angeles Police Department West Los Angeles Division who were enforcing a felony warrant in a parking lot near Sunset Boulevard in the Pacific Palisades around 7:21 a.m. KTLA 5 first reported.
After reaching Will Rogers State Beach, the suspect entered the Pacific Ocean and started swimming towards Santa Monica but was arrested. Lifeguards entered the water on rescue boards to assess his condition.
In a video available on Facebook, the suspect, who had black hair and was wearing a darkish blue shirt and no pants, is seen being surrounded by two lifeguards lying on their boards, holding flotation devices. The suspect treaded water, as the lifeguards spoke to him. The Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division rescue boat and a boat belonging to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was also present on the scene.
The suspect swam approximately a mile out to sea.
About an hour and a half later, he was still treading water. Lifeguards left their boards and entered the water to help him. As they tried to secure a flotation device around the suspect, he struggled against them. The lifeguards which were joined by another from the LA County Lifeguard boat, secured the device around the suspect, allowing them to bring him toward the LASD boat.
The deputy onboard helped the first two lifeguards lift the suspect out of the water and take him into custody, while the third lifeguard returned to his boat.
The investigation is ongoing. No details on the suspect’s name have been disclosed to the public.
By Daniel Diquinzio
