Long Chase in Stolen City Truck Ends in Arrest
A Glendale man stole a municipal truck Friday afternoon and led police on a chase through three counties before he was captured near La Jolla, authorities said. No one was injured.
Police arrested 38-year-old Erich Martirosian and booked him on suspicion of grand theft and evading arrest after a three-hour pursuit. The chase began about 1 p.m. in Burbank when Martirosian allegedly jumped into a maintenance truck belonging to the city of Burbank. City workers who left the truck’s key in the ignition followed Martirosian in another vehicle before authorities got involved, said Sgt. Jose Duran of the Burbank Police Department.
The suspect weaved his way through Los Angeles and Orange counties before he was caught on the Golden State Freeway near the Gilman Drive off-ramp. Police said Martirosian was driving southbound when he crossed the median and veered into a northbound lane. The truck was rammed by a California Highway Patrol unit, ending the chase.
Duran said police contacted the suspect’s wife, who said her husband was suffering from manic depression and may have been suicidal.
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