Three Young Boys Kidnapped After Carjacker Steals Running Vehicle Outside East L.A. 7-Eleven; Chase Ends in Malibu Crash
Suspect arrested after high-speed pursuit; all three children and the boys' father were injured.
Three young boys were taken when a suspect stole a vehicle left running outside a 7-Eleven in East Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, and a subsequent high-speed police pursuit ended in a crash in Malibu that injured all three children, authorities and witnesses said.
The boys, all under age 10, were inside the car when the suspect jumped behind the wheel as their mother, identified by local media as Tersa Tax, briefly went into the store. "You blink and you see a stranger in the car with your kids," Tax told CBS News Los Angeles. "Your kids are crying and desperate for their mom … they’re afraid and you just see someone run away with them."
The boys' father, who had been parked beside the vehicle, attempted to stop the suspect as the vehicle drove off and was dragged behind the car, suffering chest injuries, according to local reports. Law enforcement officers pursued the stolen vehicle on a high-speed chase that concluded after the suspect collided with another car in Malibu. The crash seriously injured all three children, who were treated at the scene and taken to area hospitals, police and first responders said.
The unidentified suspect fled on foot from the crash site but was apprehended by officers a short time later, authorities said. Police have not publicly released the suspect's name or detailed charges as the investigation continues.
Local television footage and photographs captured the aftermath of the crash in the upscale coastal community, showing damaged vehicles and emergency crews at the scene. Witness accounts and the mother's remarks have been circulated in local media as authorities work to piece together the sequence of events and the suspect's actions leading up to the pursuit.
Investigators are expected to review surveillance video from the 7-Eleven parking lot and surrounding traffic cameras, and to interview witnesses, including the children's parents and responding officers. Officials have asked anyone with additional information to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.
The case has prompted renewed attention to the risks of leaving vehicles unattended with occupants inside. Police statements and formal charging decisions were pending at the time of publication, and the ages and medical conditions of the children beyond being under 10 and injured have not been disclosed.
