LOS ANGELES – A puppy came flying out of a moving vehicle on Friday as officers with the Los Angles Police Department were pursuing a Chevy Avalanche trying to capture a suspect wanted for attempted murder. The puppy was safely recovered and the man was eventually arrested following a foot chase, police said.
The vehicle pursuit began in South Los Angeles about noon on Friday. The chase continued for two hours, traveling through various L.A. neighborhoods and into the City of Inglewood. The sport truck carried a male and two females. The man, identified as Gustavo Alvarez, 27, was wanted for attempted murder, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.
At one point during the chase, the 8-week-old pup was thrown out of the vehicle onto the street while stuffed inside a Michael Kors designer handbag.
As the chase continued back to the streets of South Los Angeles, the suspect’s sport truck hit another vehicle. The driver then ditched the Avalanche, which appeared to have a flattened front tire, and got into the second getaway vehicle that seemingly met up with the fleeing suspect to help him evade authorities.
The pursuit ended dramatically in Carson when Alvarez bailed from the SUV and was captured by police following a foot chase. He was arrested for an attempted murder and carjacking that occurred on March 26.
“Miraculously, the dog emerged unharmed and was rescued by responding LAPD officers,” the police agency wrote in a statement.
Lynette Moreno, 27, was arrested for allegedly setting up the second getaway SUV, while Michelle Zamudio, 25, was arrested for reportedly driving the second getaway vehicle, the New York Post reported.
The mixed-breed pup has been placed on hold with Los Angeles Animal Services until an investigation about his owner is complete, according to FOX 11.
“All is well as you can see — this little puppy’s doing just fine, and we just wanted to be able to let all your viewers know that all is well,” said Matthew Spease, a supervisor with the animal shelter.
