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City hit with damage claim after stolen car is retrieved
by Robb Fulcher
The city council has rejected a claim by a Redondo Beach man who is seeking reimbursement, after police chased and retrieved his stolen car, but broke some glass in the process.
The whole thing started at 1:19 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19 when Hermosa police received a report that a black Ford Mustang had been stolen from its owner, who was playing basketball at the municipal courts near Clark Stadium and had left his keys on a bench as he played.
Police found the car heading east on Grant Street and gave chase with lights and siren, following the car "at a high rate of speed" along Aviation Boulevard, a police report stated.
The alleged car thief ran a red light at Artesia Boulevard, drove north in the southbound lanes briefly, and then barreled along Aviation as fast as 75 mph in a 30 mph zone, the report stated. He then ran two more red lights, hit a speed of 80 mph and "almost collided with several vehicles," according to the report.
At El Segundo Boulevard the vehicle jumped a concrete median, and a pursuing officer "pitted" the vehicle, causing it to spin out, the report stated. Officers dashed up to the Mustang and ordered the driver to get out, and when he refused, officers shattered the passenger side window to remove him, the report stated.
Police took the alleged car thief, a 16-year-old, to a youth facility.
The car's owner later filed a claim for damages with the city of Hermosa Beach, contending that two of the car's windows were broken unnecessarily. Such claims are sometimes a prelude to a lawsuit.
"Police officers broke windows to get to the suspect after the car was stopped," the man wrote in his claim. "I am not seeking damages for the body damage to the car because it was necessary to stop the vehicle."
The council rejected the claim unanimously and without comment at its last regular meeting. ER