First published in the Oct. 1 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
The Burbank Police Department announced Wednesday that five young men were taken into custody in connection with a residential burglary in Burbank that led to a vehicle chase.
The burglary occurred about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 1800 block of Catalina Street, said police Sgt. Brent Fekety.
“The victim called the police and said she was not home but observed, via surveillance cameras, two men trying to break into her house,” he said in a statement.
The Burbank and Glendale Police Joint Air Support Unit arrived overhead and saw four men break into the back house of the victim’s property, Fekety said. The suspects then fled from the rear yard and jumped into an awaiting vehicle.
“Burbank police officers responded to the area and located the suspect’s vehicle, a gray-colored Ford Focus with stolen license plates affixed, entering the south Interstate 5 from Empire Avenue,” Fekety said. “Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver failed to yield, leading police on a pursuit.”
According to the BPD report, the driver of the vehicle committed numerous traffic violations and reached high speeds as the chase continued south on Interstate 5 and transitioned south on Interstate 110.
“The pursuit came to an end when the driver stopped the vehicle on Interstate 110 and all five occupants exited, fleeing on foot,” Fekety said.
Burbank officers, assisted by Los Angeles Police Department officers, established a perimeter near the 900 block of Bernard Street in Los Angeles, and the five suspects were arrested. Two of the suspects were bitten by a police dog, Fekety said.
The five suspects were all between the ages of 19 and 20 years old and are Los Angeles residents. They were booked on suspicion of residential burglary and evading police.
