Man Crashes Stolen Truck Into Federal Building
A Pacoima man drove a stolen pickup truck through the glass doors of the Federal Building in Westwood on Thursday, narrowly missing people in the busy lobby.
Russell Anthony Anzalone, 24, was immediately pulled from the truck by a building guard and arrested by FBI agents, whose offices are in the building.
No injuries were reported in the lobby of the building on Wilshire Boulevard.
Flight of Steps
Witnesses said Anzalone drove the truck over a curb, across the east lawn of the building and up a shallow flight of concrete steps. At the top the stairs, he made a left turn, positioned the truck in front of the glass doors and crashed through them into the lobby.
A guard seated at a desk 10 feet from where the truck stopped held Anzalone until FBI agents arrived.
Suspecting that the truck contained explosives, agents evacuated the ground floor and searched the vehicle. However, nothing was found, FBI spokesman Jim Neilson said. The FBI declined to comment on a possible motive for the incident.
“It wasn’t an accident,” Neilson said. “He had to make a long wrong turn.”
Anzalone was booked by Los Angeles police for investigation of grand theft auto and on an outstanding hit-and-run warrant. Bail was set at $2,000.
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