Pursuit of alleged domestic abuse suspect ends in Rowland Heights

SOUTH GATE, Calif. (FOX 11) - An hours-long pursuit of a suspect believed to be involved in a domestic assault that began in the South Gate area Wednesday evening ended at a 99 Cent Only store in Rowland Heights.

The suspect was taken into custody by police and a female passenger was treated by medical personnel at the scene before being loaded into an ambulance.

The suspect led police on a wild chase in a Honda Accord through Los Angeles and Orange counties before pulling into a shopping center where he ran inside a 99 Cent Only store and subsequently taken into custody by police. Aerial video from SkyFox showed a crowd of shoppers flee from the store as police ran in with rifles not knowing if the suspect was armed.

The chase began at about 5:15 p.m. after police were informed of a dispute between a man and a woman in the car and the driver took off when an officer approached the vehicle, according to South Gate Police Department.

The suspect, believed to be a parolee at large, appeared to have been striking his female passenger during the chase, which at times reached dangerous speeds through surface streets. At times, the female passenger was seen opening the door but never got out of the car.

Law enforcement officers attempted a PIT maneuver on the Honda at one point during the chase but it was unsuccessful.

The suspect eventually pulled over into a parking space before running into the 99 Cent Only store in the area of Nogales Street and Colima Road in Rowland Heights. The female passenger was left in the car with unknown injuries but was later loaded into an ambulance as police taped off the immediate area.

No other injuries were reported during the pursuit and neither the victim or suspect's identities were immediately released. The investigation is ongoing.