Five people who were in a vehicle involved in a violent carjacking were detained after a pursuit in Southeast Los Angeles County, officials said Tuesday.
The ordeal began about 1 a.m. when a man met a woman on the Tinder dating app and she asked him to come to her home in Pico Rivera, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Tenaya Brown told KTLA.
When the victim arrived at the home, the woman asked him to pick up a male friend of hers at Alondra and Firestone boulevards. The friend then got into the vehicle, and a short time later, the friend pointed a pistol to the back of the victim’s head, Brown said.
The victim was told to empty his pockets and he handed over his cellphone and wallet. He was also forced to drive to various ATMs and withdraw $240, Brown said.
The man then made the victim drive around Whittier for several hours, apparently to confuse the victim, before the assailant told the victim to get out of the car.
The man and woman then took off, but the car was entered into the Sheriff’s Department’s system as being involved with people who were considered armed and dangerous, Brown said.
Later Tuesday morning, the victim was able to track his cellphone to the the area of Mansa Drive and Bona Vista Lane in La Mirada. It was eventually spotted by deputies searching the area about 11:25 a.m.
A pursuit was initiated and the driver got on the 5 Freeway.
The driver stopped after a successful PIT maneuver along the highway south of Lakewood Boulevard in the Downey area. Several sheriff’s vehicles stopped on the freeway, guns drawn, waiting for the driver to surrender, aerial video from Sky5 showed.
In total, five people — three women and two men — were detained after surrendering to waiting authorities.
Investigators will work to determine if the two people involved in the carjacking were among those taken into custody.
None of the people detained have been identified and the matter remains under investigation.