Arizona man who allegedly took police on carjacking pursuit that ended in Burbank charged with 8 felony counts
A carjacking suspect accused of trying to hit a California Highway Patrol officer with a car in Burbank after a vehicle pursuit last Wednesday received an eight-count indictment on Monday from the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
Johnny Paul Siganoff was charged with one count each of driving or taking a vehicle without consent, carjacking and assaulting a police officer as well as two counts of attempted carjacking and three counts of resisting arrest. The district attorney’s office said Siganoff, who also goes by John Szabo and Frank Siganoff, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to authorities, the 32-year-old Phoenix, Ariz., resident is suspected of stealing a car on May 30 from a gas station employee in Mission Viejo. Later in the day, he reportedly got in a crash on the 210 Freeway in Pasadena.
The district attorney’s office said Siganoff then carjacked a vehicle that was involved in the incident.
The CHP pursued the stolen van into Burbank, where Siganoff got off the 134 Freeway and drove onto Buena Vista Street.
“While exiting, the suspect intentionally rammed into several vehicles that were stopped for the red traffic light at the bottom of the off-ramp,” according to the CHP.
He then traveled west on Riverside Drive, where he reportedly tried to carjack several other vehicles in the area.
In a cellphone video captured by a witness, a CHP officer can be seen chasing down a man said to be Siganoff. The officer used a stun gun on the man, but it had no effect.
The video goes on to show the man entering a vehicle and attempting to run down the officer.
According to the CHP, “The officer returned to the patrol vehicle and rammed the suspect’s vehicle, subsequently disabling it.”
Additional officers arrived on scene and, after a brief struggle, Siganoff was taken into custody. It was later determined he was under the influence of drugs at the time.
Siganoff faces more than nine years in prison if convicted and is currently being held on $300,000 bail.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
