Deputies clear up car theft suspect’s identity after confusion with twin brother

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed the 18-year-old Pasadena man who turned himself in last week after allegedly crashing a stolen BMW into a fence during a Sept. 8 pursuit in La Cañada was not Marquise McGlothurn but his twin brother, Marcus.

Sgt. Hector Mancinas of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station said Friday officials initially identified Marquise McGlothurn as the suspect based on DMV information accessed at the time of booking. That DMV record indicated “Marcus” was a known alias used by the individual.

“The driver’s license had both names,” Mancinas said. “Everybody assumed there was only one person.”

But in an email correspondence to the Valley Sun received Monday, a man identifying himself as Marquise McGlothurn claimed he’d been incorrectly named as the suspect in media reports of the crime, which he alleges was committed by his fraternal twin, Marcus.

“I am Marquise McGlothurn and the culprit is my twin brother ‘Marcus McGlothurn,’” the sender wrote, asking for his name to be removed from all coverage of the event.

He further stated that while photos circulated by area news outlets depicted his brother, his own name had been erroneously attached to the images. He further stated that, as fraternal twins, he and his alleged brother do not look alike.

On Friday, Marquise McGlothurn and his mother, Alicia Cass, met with Mancinas to clear up the incident. Cass provided birth certificates and photo ID cards for both sons, indicating the man in custody was Marcus, not Marquise.

Mancinas said it was later learned Marcus McGlothurn — whom officials have indicated has a lengthy record of past offenses — has no driver’s license or official form of photo identification. When his name and date of birth were run through a database, only his brother’s DMV information appeared in the results, he added.

The sergeant said he was unsure exactly how “Marcus Lamar” became a known alias associated with the name “Marquise Lamont McGlothurn,” and that it was an unfortunate coincidence that would likely come back to haunt the non-offending brother in the future.

Court records indicate that since turning 18 in January, Marcus McGlothurn has been arrested in three other incidents — shoplifting and resisting or obstructing an officer in March, theft and petty theft in April and vehicle theft with another attempt to allude an officer in June.

“Here’s a guy who’s been involved in some stuff,” Mancinas said, referring to Marcus McGlothurn. “It sucks to be his brother, because it seems his brother is (going) in a different direction. If Marquise gets pulled over, Marcus’ name is going to pop up.”

Marcus McGlothurn had allegedly been driving a 2011 black BMW on Angeles Crest Highway near the 210 Freeway at around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 8 when a deputy in the vicinity saw him make an illegal U-turn, sheriff’s officials reported last week.

The pursued vehicle turned onto Beulah Drive and lost control at an intersection at Berkshire Avenue, where it crashed into a residential fence. Marcus McGlothurn reportedly exited the vehicle, initiating a search that lasted until about 6 p.m.

The other two passengers, both described as black males 19 years of age, were arrested on the scene, officials reported.

Lt. Bill Jaeger, a watch commander at the Crescenta Valley Station, said Monday that the suspect arrived at the station with his mother and turned himself in two days after the collision and manhunt. Despite the case of mistaken identity, Mancinas said Friday he was booked under the name “Marcus.”

Marcus McGlothurn is currently being held at the North County Correctional Facility, awaiting a Sept. 29 court date in Pasadena, Mancinas said.