Burglary Suspect Held After Crossing Freeway

A transient suspected in several North Hollywood burglaries was wrestled to the ground and arrested Sunday after he tried to elude capture by running across several lanes of traffic on the Hollywood Freeway, authorities said.

Seven Los Angeles police officers wrestled Hector Padilla, 20, to the ground after he led them on a foot chase on the freeway near Burbank Boulevard about 7 a.m., Sgt. Ike Langsam said. Padilla was being held at the Van Nuys Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly biting the hand of one of the officers who tried to subdue him, Langsam said.

The officer was treated for his injury at a nearby hospital and released.

Sgt. P. Dailey said Padilla is suspected in several residential burglaries in an area near Burbank Boulevard and Colfax Avenue. One resident told police that he saw the burglar run away from his house, and officers took the witness with them as they searched the neighborhood.

They found Padilla already stopped by California Highway Patrol officers for walking on the freeway, Dailey said. As CHP officers were questioning him, Padilla bolted across the freeway from the northbound lanes to the southbound side and back, Dailey said.

CHP and LAPD officers chased him, and Padilla was apprehended and subdued minutes later, Dailey said.