Driver in stolen box truck leads police on wild chase that ends with K-9 takedown in Long Beach

A wild pursuit in a stolen box truck came to an end in Long Beach after the driver slammed into a parked car and finally surrendered to police following the deployment of a K-9.

The chase began sometime before 6 p.m. in Garden Grove after police received a call of a carjacking in the city. Refusing to yield to officers, the driver of the stolen box truck led them on a chase that traveled through Cerritos, Lakewood and surrounding areas.

While traveling mainly on surface streets, the driver traveled erratically, sometimes on the wrong side of the road and crashing into one vehicle near a parking lot. Several times, the driver stopped in the middle of the street, prompting officers to exit their cruisers in an effort to coax the suspect out of the truck. Each time, however, the driver would continue forward, extending the cat-and-mouse-like game.

Ultimately, the chase came to an end after the driver lost control of the truck after striking a center median. While fishtailing, the truck took down a light pole in the median. The suspect then drove over another median, slamming into a parked car in the process.

Arleen Macias said it was her car that was damaged in the chase.

"The truck was wedged between my car and another car. Spun my car around," Macias said. "Yeah, my car got most of the beating."

Police quickly surrounded the truck once it came to a halt near Wardlow Road and Cedar Avenue in Long Beach. There, the driver remained in the cab of the truck, refusing officers' orders to exit the vehicle.

Officers appeared to have fired less than lethal rounds at the cab after the driver threw an unknown object in their direction. After two failed K-9 deployment attempts, the police dog entered the truck.

The driver exited the vehicle and surrendered to police. Macias said despite the extensive damage to her car, she's grateful to be unharmed.

“I’m OK, my brother’s OK and that’s all there is to it," she said. "I mean a car can be replaced, it can be fixed, I’m just so glad we weren’t in it."

Authorities did not release the name of the driver nor did they specify what charges they may face.