Los Angeles police search for stolen children’s hospital bus

Police were pursuing a bus stolen from Los Angeles Children’s Hospital.

The Los Angeles Police Department, the agency that initiated the pursuit, said the suspect stole the bus from the Hollywood area. The children’s hospital said two employees were on the bus when it was stolen around 7:10 p.m.

However, they got out before the chase began. The hospital said it uses the bus to transport employees to parking lots outside of hospital grounds.

The suspect led officers onto the CA-170 Freeway before driving off the road and speeding through oncoming traffic on the Victory Boulevard ramp in Valley Glen. The stolen bus narrowly missed several cars and briefly lost ground units during the brazen maneuver.

Officers from the LAPD’s North Hollywood Division caught up with the suspect shortly thereafter. The driver continued to lead police through the southern San Fernando Valley while recklessly ignoring red lights and narrowly missing other cars. Police called off the pursuit after the reckless driving on the ground.

Los Angeles police briefly resumed the pursuit after reaching the Van Nuys area, but officers called off the pursuit a few minutes later and only observed it from the air.

The suspect drove aimlessly through the San Fernando Valley before abandoning the bus next to a Home Depot at the intersection of Arminta Street and Nollan Place in Panorama City. The driver disappeared after running into the hardware store.

After a brief search, police left Home Depot with one person in handcuffs.