Charges filed in alleged Christmas day chase

Two men who ended up in the hospital after initiating a high-speed police chase on Christmas Day in Burbank have been charged with one count each of auto burglary and receiving stolen property, police said.

One of the men, Javier Hernandez, is awaiting his arraignment — which will likely take place in 30 days — in Los Angeles County Jail, while the other, Anthony Garay, remained in the hospital due to a fractured leg as of Friday, according to Burbank Police Sgt. Darin Ryburn.

Garay was given a citation for the felony charges while in the hospital, Ryburn said.

“We know that he’s not going anywhere,” Ryburn said.

A Burbank Police officer who was responding to a possible auto burglary in the 600 block of North Frederic Street around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday tried to pull over the duo after spotting their car driving on the wrong side of the street with the vehicle’s lights off.

But Garay and Hernandez, both 20, took off at 60 mph, initiating a high-speed chase onto the eastbound Ventura (134) Freeway at Buena Vista Street.

Due to safety precautions, the Burbank Police officer ceased the chase, according to authorities.

But the Los Angeles residents didn’t get far. As they attempted to exit the freeway at Forest Lawn Drive, they crashed on the off-ramp.

The Volkswagen Jetta they were in, which was reportedly stolen, was totaled and both men were taken to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center.

A third-row seat stolen from another vehicle on Frederic Street earlier that day was found inside the Jetta.

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Follow Brittany Levine on Google+ and on Twitter: @brittanylevine.

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