Details of Chases, Gun Battle Emerge

Antonio Almandarez did not go down without a fight.

The suspected armed robber spun his car toward pursuing patrol cars Wednesday and engaged Los Angeles police officers in a jousting-like gun battle, firing through an open window. authorities said Thursday. When it was over, Almandarez, 33, lay dead on a Van Nuys street and Officer Jeff Nuttall had a slight wound to the shoulder.

“It was really by sheer luck the officer was not seriously injured,” said police spokesman John Pasquariello.

Almandarez and his alleged partner in a 10-week armed robbery rampage led Los Angeles and Glendale officers on separate pursuits Wednesday. The pursuits occurred about four hours and more than 20 miles apart. A motorist was killed in a head-on collision with the car of suspect William Tanielian, the police said.

Nuttall was treated at Northridge Hospital Medical Center and released.

Tanielian is in the jail ward of County-USC Medical Center. He has been charged with murder in the death of motorist Milo Flores of Alhambra, authorities said.

“A preliminary look at what happened appears that policy and procedures were followed,” said Glendale Sgt. Rick Young. LAPD Robbery-Homicide detectives, acting on tips from the public, had identified Tanielian and Almandarez as suspects in more than 50 armed robberies throughout Los Angeles County.

After receiving another tip, undercover LAPD detectives staked out a Glendale car dealer and waited two days for Tanielian to show up. On Wednesday, he dropped by to make a monthly car payment, officers said.

The detectives alerted uniformed Glendale officers and they attempted to pull over Tanielian, who was also wanted on burglary and narcotics charges.

After Tanielian’s car crash, detectives in unmarked cars staked out a home in the 7000 block of Shirley Avenue in Reseda. At 2:44 p.m., the detectives called for backup officers after Almandarez was seen driving away from the house. Seven officers and detectives from the West Valley Division took up the chase. Almandarez sped away and, near Balboa Boulevard and Balboa Place, fired several shots at officers.

He sped north to Roscoe, police said, firing more rounds from his handgun.

Almandarez drove east on Roscoe to Home Depot Place in front of the store’s parking lot, where his car was disabled. He crawled through the driver’s window, firing shots from a 9-millimeter pistol at officers. Police returned a volley of gunshots, killing Almandarez.

Sharky Klian, a downtown bail bondsman, said Thursday that he had been looking for Tanielian. On April 24, Tanielian jumped bail on a $35,000 bond Klian had posted.

“I’m glad it took place with the cops so I’m not involved in the headache,” said Klian. “He would have had to kill me or I would have had to kill him and it’s not easy to live with killing a man who has kids.”

Daniel Pardo, a parking manager who was Flores’ boss at the Universal Hilton Hotel, described Flores, who worked at the hotel for nine years, as reliable, friendly and always willing to lend a hand.

“Why does a guy like this have to go like that?” Prado asked. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was just trying to take his sister to work.”