A reportedly stolen movie police vehicle was involved in a containment in Canyon Country Sunday morning that led to the arrest of one man while two suspects evaded capture, according to an official with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
Resident Merritt Kent said she was outside of her house when she heard screeching tires coming up Bernina Avenue and she saw what looked like a police vehicle run a stop sign and accelerate up the hill.
Kent said she called 911 after witnessing the suspects driving through the stop sign and then she heard sirens soon afterward.
“I heard sirens coming so I come back out and the cops are following them (the suspected vehicle). Then, I see two people hop out,” said Kent. “One was a female, and one was a male and they were running so I started videotaping.”
Watch Sgt. Robert Wilkinson confirmed on Sunday, at approximately 11:20 a.m., deputies received a call about a black and white unmarked vehicle with flashing blue lights racing around and speeding through stop signs near Oakmoor Street.
Deputies located the stolen movie black and white, an unmarked police-looking vehicle on the 18600 block of Oakmoor Street after the suspect was captured on video taking it and driving away, wrote Deputy Robert Jensen, spokesman for the station, in an emailed statement on Monday. The victim confirmed that they had not given the suspect permission to use the vehicle.
Jensen confirmed there were three suspects in the vehicle during the traffic stop, the suspects ignored multiple commands to stop, attempted to evade deputies, and obstructed the investigation.
A 47-year-old Lancaster man was the only suspect arrested at the 27000 block of Furnivall Avenue on suspicion of grand theft auto and resisting or delaying a peace officer, and remains in custody as of the publication of this story, wrote Jensen.
He added that the suspect arrested was the individual who was caught on video stealing the vehicle.
Kent added it looked like the other two suspects ran toward a resident’s yard and then continued to run up the hill.
At the time of this story’s publication, the male driver and female passenger are still outstanding, Jensen said.
Signal Staff Writer Kamryn Martell contributed to this article.
