An active search is underway in Los Angeles' Mid-City area for a suspect involved in an overnight kidnapping and a subsequent police chase. According to FOX LA, LAPD officers responded to a report of a kidnapping at approximately 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday at the intersection of Seventh Street and Western Avenue in Koreatown. Witnesses reported that a man was taken at gunpoint, spurring an immediate police investigation.
Shortly after the incident, officers located a blue Toyota Prius linked to the suspect and began a pursuit that concluded in Mid-City, on Hauser Avenue between Fairfax and Venice avenues, CBS News Los Angeles reports. The chase ended as the man ditched his vehicle and fled on foot, leaving behind the kidnapped individual, who was subsequently transported to a local hospital. Patrols have been instituted, and residents have been cautioned to remain alert, as the suspect is believed to be armed.
The victim was able to provide details to the authorities with the assistance of a Russian translator, informing them that the suspect was indeed armed. However, FOX LA states that currently, there appears to be no connection between the victim and the suspect. Authorities continue to comb the area, with no sightings reported thus far.
Description of the suspect remains vague, with only the gender revealed to be male. Video from the scene showed LAPD officers canvassing the locale, while overhead, a police airship surveyed from the sky. KTLA added that the suspect was last seen entering an apartment complex on the 1700 block of Hauser Boulevard.
Police have not disclosed any motives behind the kidnapping or if there is any connection to the earlier reported carjacking. The investigation remains active, and authorities are urging anyone with information on the suspect to come forward.
