Burbank police say an early-morning traffic stop on Feb. 17 turned into a demolition scene when a 33-year-old Los Angeles man allegedly threw his car into reverse, hit two officers, and rammed marked patrol units before speeding away through a residential neighborhood.
The officers were struck but escaped without serious injuries, according to a Burbank Police Department news release. The driver, however, took off into the night and managed to stay out of sight for several days.
Police say the trouble started around 3:00 a.m. in the 400 block of East Santa Anita Avenue, where a traffic enforcement stop quickly escalated. When officers told the driver to step out, he allegedly refused, threw the car into reverse, hit two officers, then rammed two marked patrol vehicles before fleeing, as detailed in the department's account.
Detectives later identified the driver as 33-year-old Jonathan Marquez of Los Angeles. According to Outlook Newspapers, Marquez is a registered sex offender and a parolee at large who had removed his court-ordered electronic monitoring device. The outlet reports his criminal history includes convictions for domestic violence, possession of child pornography and lewd acts with a child.
How investigators finally caught up
Investigators say they chased leads into Los Angeles. On Feb. 20, the Burbank Police Department's Special Weapons and Tactics team served a search warrant at a residence in the 3000 block of Hunter Street and arrested Marquez without further incident, according to the police news release.
Felony charges and bail
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed five felony counts on Feb. 23, including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, Outlook Newspapers reported. Marquez was arraigned on Feb. 24 and is being held in lieu of $260,000 bail, according to local coverage and court records cited by the outlet.
Burbank police have asked anyone with additional information about the case to contact the department's public information office. The city included a media contact in its release.
