Carjacking suspect determines not to carjack Pennywise guitarist in Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach Police officers kept their weapons on the carjacking suspect’s car for over two hours while the suspect disregarded orders issued over a police megaphone to exit the car. Photo by Kevin Cody

Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge was driving his black Ford F two hundred fifty pickup south on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach Wednesday morning when he eyed a gray Scion in his rear view mirror, being followed by police cars with flashing lights. The suspected carjacker had led police on a slow speed pursue that began in South Central Los Angeles, proceeded west to the ocean in El Segundo, then south on Highland through Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach, east on Longfellow to Valley-Ardmore, south and then north again, then west again to Harbor Drive in Redondo Beach, then south on Catalina Avenue and east on Beryl to Pacific Coast Highway, where he met up with Dragge.

“I thought I should get out of the way, so I crossed the dual yellow to make a U-turn. But my truck is so long I got stuck, blocking the two northbound lanes,” Dragge said.

Three Torrance Bearcats boxed in the suspect’s vehicle.

As Dragge sat at a stop, the Scion spun into his lane and came to a rest ten feet away, he said.

A police squad car had evidently tapped the rear end of the Scion, in a maneuver known as a PIT (Precision Immobilization Mechanism). Earlier during the pursue, at Herondo Street and Hermosa Avenue, Hermosa Beach police had flattened one of the Scion’s rear tire with a tack disrobe.

“It looked like he was reaching for the driver side door treat and I thought for a moment he was coming for my truck. But if he was, he switched his mind when we made eye contact,” Dragge said. Dragge described the Scion driver as a petite, Hispanic masculine in his early 20s, with a trimmed head. Dragge is 6-foot-5, three hundred pounds.

Officers from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach were joined by Los Angeles County Sheriffs.

The driver backed up, then resumed driving south on Pacific Coast Highway until he reached Palos Verdes Boulevard. There, a Redondo Beach police car tapped his rear end again, this time sending the Scion into the curb, where it stopped.

At about 11:15 a.m., after a two hour stand-off, the suspect, identified as Carlos Mercado, 27, emerged from the Scion with his T-shirt off and arms over his head.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies wait for the standoff to diffuse.

A downtown Hermosa Beach business proprietor spotted on the live television coverage that the carjacking suspect was driving down Gould Avenue toward the ocean and correctly guessed that the suspect would soon be driving south on Hermosa Avenue. So the business holder hopped in his car behind his shop and parked it across one of Hermosa Avenue’s two southbound lanes. Then he wooed a passing Mercedes driver to block the 2nd southbound lane. The carjacking suspect evaded the blockade by swerving into a northbound lane.

Redondo Beach Mayor Steve Aspel (right) was among the crowd that assembled on the edge of Riviera Village, where the car pursue ended.

“I was thinking about that mother and child killed a few weeks ago during a car pursue. And I’m ready for a fresh car,” said the business possessor, who asked not to be identified. ER

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Kevin is the publisher of Effortless Reader and Beach. Share your news tips. Three hundred ten 372-4611 ext. One hundred ten or kevin[at]easyreadernews[dot]com

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Carjacking suspect determines not to carjack Pennywise guitarist in Redondo Beach

Carjacking suspect determines not to carjack Pennywise guitarist in Redondo Beach

Redondo Beach Police officers kept their weapons on the carjacking suspect’s car for over two hours while the suspect overlooked orders issued over a police megaphone to exit the car. Photo by Kevin Cody

Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge was driving his black Ford F two hundred fifty pickup south on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach Wednesday morning when he eyed a gray Scion in his rear view mirror, being followed by police cars with flashing lights. The suspected carjacker had led police on a slow speed pursue that began in South Central Los Angeles, proceeded west to the ocean in El Segundo, then south on Highland through Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach, east on Longfellow to Valley-Ardmore, south and then north again, then west again to Harbor Drive in Redondo Beach, then south on Catalina Avenue and east on Beryl to Pacific Coast Highway, where he met up with Dragge.

“I thought I should get out of the way, so I crossed the dual yellow to make a U-turn. But my truck is so long I got stuck, blocking the two northbound lanes,” Dragge said.

Three Torrance Bearcats boxed in the suspect’s vehicle.

As Dragge sat at a stop, the Scion spun into his lane and came to a rest ten feet away, he said.

A police squad car had evidently tapped the rear end of the Scion, in a maneuver known as a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technology). Earlier during the pursue, at Herondo Street and Hermosa Avenue, Hermosa Beach police had flattened one of the Scion’s rear tire with a tack disrobe.

“It looked like he was reaching for the driver side door treat and I thought for a moment he was coming for my truck. But if he was, he switched his mind when we made eye contact,” Dragge said. Dragge described the Scion driver as a petite, Hispanic masculine in his early 20s, with a bald head. Dragge is 6-foot-5, three hundred pounds.

Officers from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach were joined by Los Angeles County Sheriffs.

The driver backed up, then resumed driving south on Pacific Coast Highway until he reached Palos Verdes Boulevard. There, a Redondo Beach police car tapped his rear end again, this time sending the Scion into the curb, where it stopped.

At about 11:15 a.m., after a two hour stand-off, the suspect, identified as Carlos Mercado, 27, emerged from the Scion with his T-shirt off and forearms over his head.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies wait for the standoff to diffuse.

A downtown Hermosa Beach business possessor eyed on the live television coverage that the carjacking suspect was driving down Gould Avenue toward the ocean and correctly guessed that the suspect would soon be driving south on Hermosa Avenue. So the business possessor leaped in his car behind his shop and parked it across one of Hermosa Avenue’s two southbound lanes. Then he coaxed a passing Mercedes driver to block the 2nd southbound lane. The carjacking suspect evaded the blockade by swerving into a northbound lane.

Redondo Beach Mayor Steve Aspel (right) was among the crowd that assembled on the edge of Riviera Village, where the car pursue ended.

“I was thinking about that mother and child killed a few weeks ago during a car pursue. And I’m ready for a fresh car,” said the business possessor, who asked not to be identified. ER

Comments:

comments so far. Comments posted to EasyReaderNews.com may be reprinted in the Effortless Reader print edition, which is published each Thursday.

Kevin is the publisher of Effortless Reader and Beach. Share your news tips. Three hundred ten 372-4611 ext. One hundred ten or kevin[at]easyreadernews[dot]com

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

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