A car chase that began in South Gate today ended on the Long Beach stretch of the 405 after 2 and a half hours of pursuit, when the suspect reportedly surrendered without incident, according to officials.
The man leading the chase was the lone driver of a gray Kia Sorento. It was unclear if his car ran out of gas or if he decided to surrender to the police, according to witness accounts.
South Gate Police Sgt. H. Gutierrez said the chase began at 10:38AM at Firestone Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue, when the motorist slammed into a vehicle. It was not known at the time of publication if anyone had been injured in the previous incident.
The suspect quickly drove off, leading police and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) on a chase, spanning at least five freeways and many surface streets in southeast Los Angeles County. It was reportedly smooth going, given the lack of traffic on Memorial Day.
The man surrendered at 1:20PM to the CHP on the southbound portion of the 405 near the Los Angeles River. Officers cleared traffic on both sides of the freeway during the stop, officials said.
Barajas was arrested on evading police, driving a stolen vehicle, receiving stolen property and assault with a deadly weapon.
He will be arraigned in Downey Superior Court on Wednesday.
City News Service contributed to this report.
This report was updated on 05/31/2016 at 4:52PM with information about Barajas’ arrest charges.
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