Suspect arrested in La Crescenta car-ramming incident
Authorities say they arrested the man who was seen on cellphone video late last month ramming his car into a Glendale police cruiser before speeding away and evading capture.
Ryan Alvarez, 36, was taken into custody from a Lancaster home on Aug. 31 by officers from a U.S. Marshals task force. He is suspected of being the man involved in a La Crescenta shoplifting incident that escalated into a short pursuit with officers from the Glendale Police Department.
The incident began at the Vons at 3233 Foothill Blvd. around 10 a.m. on Aug. 21, according to Sgt. Dan Suttles, a spokesman for Glendale police.
He said a call came in about a man shoplifting alcohol from the grocery store.
The man was still in the store when officers arrived. They attempted to stop him but he got into a white Ford Mustang and sped away.
Several police vehicles attempted to box in the car, but Suttles said the suspect kept pushing into one of the cruisers.
A video of the encounter that was shared on social media showed the suspect ignoring officers telling him to turn off the vehicle and exit it.
The Mustang was able to break free, running over an officer’s foot in the process.
The man eventually abandoned the vehicle near Foothill Boulevard and Boston Avenue, fleeing from police on foot. A search perimeter was set up, but police were unable to locate him.
Suttles said officers discovered the Mustang the man was driving was an unreported stolen vehicle from Burbank. When they searched the vehicle, they found 156 car keys that were stolen two weeks prior from a Los Angeles-area Ford dealership.
Officers were able to link Alvarez to the incident as a result of DNA evidence left behind in the car, according to Suttles.
He was tracked down to a home in the 5300 block of West Avenue in Lancaster; it’s unknown what link he has to the residence. Suttles said a Ford Explorer in the driveway of the home turned out to be stolen.
Alvarez was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon against police officers, driving or taking a vehicle without consent, receiving stolen property, petty theft and driving a suspended or revoked license due to a DUI conviction with a prior offense.
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
