Biker Who Eluded Police Is Arrested

A motorcyclist who initially gave law enforcement the slip after a high-speed chase that ended at a Glendale shopping mall was arrested Wednesday when he tried to report his bike had been stolen, authorities said.

Alvaro Rodriguez, 26, of Santa Clarita was booked on several charges after he went to the West Valley CHP station about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday to report the theft, said California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Wendy Hahn.

“As soon as he signed [the stolen vehicle report], under where it says ‘penalty of perjury,’ we arrested him,” she said.

Rodriguez later admitted to officers that he was driving the motorcycle involved in Tuesday’s pursuit, Hahn said.

Though most such chases end with the suspect being apprehended, Tuesday’s was notable because the motorcyclist was not caught. According to CHP spokesman Armando Clemente, motorcycle chases present more challenges than car chases.

“Because of ... how fast [a motorcycle] travels, it’s possible for them to get away and blend in with the crowd,” he said. “They can almost outrun a helicopter.”

The chase began at 5:30 p.m. when a CHP patrol officer spotted the man speeding along the Antelope Valley Freeway near the Santa Clarita community of Golden Valley. When the biker refused to pull over, the cruiser gave chase, Hahn said.

The pursuit snaked along three freeways before moving onto surface streets in Glendale. At times, the motorcyclist reached speeds of more than 140 mph. Because of the high speeds, Hahn said, the CHP made the decision to pull back its cruiser and follow the suspect by helicopter.

The chase ended when the motorcyclist pulled into a parking structure at the Glendale Galleria, jumped off his bike and pulled off his helmet, multicolored leather jacket and gloves, then entered the mall and blended in with the crowd.

Surveillance tapes showed Rodriguez entering the mall, Hahn said, and employees working near the entrance picked him out of a photo lineup Tuesday night.

Authorities then called Rodriguez on his cellphone; when he told them his bike had been stolen, Hahn said, they recommended he come in to the station and file a report.

When Rodriguez did so, he was arrested and booked on suspicion of felony evading arrest, filing a false police report and perjury, the spokeswoman said. He also had an outstanding warrant for violating probation, Hahn said, as well as two suspended driver’s licenses in his possession.

His motorcycle was impounded at the scene, Hahn said, but the helmet, gloves and jacket were not recovered.

“We think that someone just walked off with them,” she said.