Officer hurt while responding to back up call

GLENDALE — A Glendale police officer sustained minor injuries early Monday after crashing into two parked cars while responding to the scene where a man had tried to flee from police, officials said.

The officer, responding to calls for backup, had been traveling with lights and siren activated on Broadway and had entered the intersection at Glendale Avenue, where another motorist failed to stop. The officer was forced to swerve, hitting the parked cars.

Soon after the crash, a Glendale police dog tracked down Nicholas Romero, 25, hiding in the attic of a gas station building on Broadway and Eagledale Avenue. He was arrested on suspicion of having three to four pounds of marijuana in a stolen BMW.

Police also found a suitcase containing $16,900 in cash and two scales.

The officer, who was not identified, was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and released, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Romero was in police custody Monday. Officers had grown suspicious when they noticed the BMW didn’t have license plates.

When police ran the vehicle identification number, they discovered the car had been recently reported stolen in Glendale, officials said.

Police detained the passengers and said they noticed Romero ducking under the cashier counter.

Officers set up a perimeter around the gas station and searched for Romero, who was found hiding in an attic crawl space.

Police also found a silver vial in the crawl space containing cocaine, according to police reports.

The passengers said they didn’t know the BMW was stolen. During the search, police found a suitcase containing two large plastic bags full of marijuana, which Lorenz said was likely worth several thousand dollars. Another large plastic bag of marijuana was found in a backpack.

High-potency marijuana sells from $5,000 to $22,000 per pound, Lorenz said.