‘Posse,’ Dogs Give Chase in Wallet Theft

A posse of 40 police officers, two helicopters, three police dogs and three civilians joined in what authorities called a “rather bizarre” manhunt early Thursday to capture two men suspected of snatching a wallet containing $95.

The more than 2 1/2-hour chase ended in Granada Hills when police dogs found the suspects hiding under bushes--one of them in the front yard of a police officer’s home, Los Angeles police Sgt. Dennis Zine said.

The two men were captured about 1:45 a.m. after they made the mistake of racing past the Devonshire Division police station with three young men in two cars in pursuit, Zine said. Tony Pierce, 21, of Van Nuys and Hugo Guerrero, 23, of Encino were arrested on suspicion of robbery, Zine said.

Took Purse From Car

The chase began at 11:06 p.m. Wednesday when a woman saw two men take her purse from her unlocked car as she talked on a public telephone at a Northridge intersection, Zine said. The woman ran to the suspects’ car and grabbed her purse but lost her wallet, Zine said.

Three men who saw the struggle from two parked cars tried to help the woman, but one of the suspects kept them at bay with a baseball bat from inside the car as his partner drove off, Zine said.

The good Samaritans gave chase, honking their horns and finally attracting the attention of officers Robert Brodowy and Rod Gregson outside the Devonshire station at Etiwanda Avenue and Devonshire Street in Granada Hills, Zine said.

The officers noticed that the license plate of the suspects’ car was covered with tape and joined the pursuit in their patrol car, he said. Two minutes later, the suspects jumped out of their car and began running on Donmetz Street near Etiwanda Avenue, he said.

At that point, the other officers and the helicopters converged on the area and waited for the police dogs to find their prey, Zine said. When the suspects resisted, both were bitten. They were treated at Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, then taken to the Devonshire Station jail, Zine said.

Police will recommend that commendations be awarded to the three men who helped the woman, who recovered her money, Zine said. Police declined to identify the three men or the woman.