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Boy steals car in Inglewood, leds police on chase

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INGLEWOOD, Calif.–A boy in a stolen car led officers through Inglewood and other South Bay cities today in a meandering two-hour pursuit during which he crashed into a police cruiser, then drove over some spike strips and was arrested, police said.

The pursuit started at Manchester and La Cienega Boulevards in Inglewood at 11:06 p.m., when officers attempted to stop a gold Toyota Camry stolen in Inglewood and the driver refused to pull over, said Inglewood police Sgt. Brian Hand.

Over the next two hours, officers followed the Camry along thoroughfares and side streets in Inglewood, Los Angeles, Hawthorne and unincorporated areas, with the chase at times going in circles.

“Several times the suspect drove head-on toward police officers, forcing them to veer away from him,” Hand said.

At one gas station, when police tried to deploy spike strips, the suspect drove around the strips, crashing into a police car and ripping off its bumper.

“We didn’t force the issue,” Hand said. “We tried to do it the safest we could.”

Officers waited until a pattern emerged in the suspect’s course, then laid down spike strips again at Century Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue at about 1 a.m., Hand said, adding that the car came to a stop at Arbor Vitae and Oak Streets in Inglewood and the boy gave up without incident.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of car theft, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer for running into the patrol car, and felony evading, Hand said. His name was not released because of his age.

The suspect flashed gang hand signs out of the driver’s side window during he pursuit.  “The gang signs were consistent with his being a gang member,” Hand said.

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