Get ready for a hot new trend in Los Angeles' high-speed chase subculture: Got tha 5-0 on your ass as you're zooming down the 10 or 134 or whatever? Get off the freeway and head straight to the closest shopping mall.
In all my years watching freeway chases in Southern California, they've always ended the same: The suspects are either arrested... or, um, end up dead.
Not yesterday. A motorcyclist trying to elude a speeding ticket managed to slip into the crowds at the Glendale Galleria... and at least as of last night (haven't seen an updated report), had escaped the CHP.
According to the L.A. Times: Television news helicopters taped the motorcyclist as he weaved in and out of oncoming traffic and squeezed between gridlocked cars and trucks.
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.
Manuel Baldovinos, 15, of Montebello, said he and a group of friends had just parked their car at the mall when they heard the whine of a motorcycle engine. They said they watched the rider throw away his helmet and strip down to a white T-shirt and blue jeans. They said he began running away from the mall at first, then quickly changed direction and ran into the mall.
"When we saw him get off, he had a nervous look to him," Baldovinos said. "He would walk, jog, walk, jog, so he would blend in."
Few people noticed anything as the suspect headed for the entrance near the Red Robin restaurant and J.C. Penney.
UPDATE: Turns out the suspect wasn't too bright after all. He actually tried to convince the police that his bike was stolen -- and they responded by telling him, "Hey, come on down and you can fill out some paperwork." He did -- and scored some nifty handcuffs. From fast escape to "America's Dumbest Criminals" in 24 hours.
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