Chase suspect who was shot in Montebello identified
MONTEBELLO, Calif. (KABC) -- A carjacking suspect who was shot by police at the end of a wild pursuit in Montebello has been identified.
The suspect, 29-year-old Aaron Lorta of Los Angeles, remains hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. He was booked Tuesday for carjacking, with bail set at $100,000.
The pursuit began around 5:40 p.m. Monday in East Los Angeles near First and Soto streets in Boyle Heights after officers ran the suspect's license plate and concluded the gray Toyota Camry had been reported stolen.
VIDEO: Witness captures violent carjacking during LAPD pursuit
The driver led LAPD officers on a chase through downtown Los Angeles and further east, hitting at least four vehicles before crashing his vehicle and carjacking 22-year-old Elizabeth Yarahuan at gunpoint near Imperial Highway in South Gate.
"He just came up to me and pointed the gun at me and told me to get out of my car, and he just took off with it," Yarahuan said.
Yarahuan wasn't hurt, but she was shaken up over the terrifying incident.
"I saw him running toward me and I just kind of froze, because I saw him pulling the gun already," Yarahuan recalled.
After carjacking Yarahuan, the suspect dangerously weaved in and out of traffic at high speeds on the 710 and 60 freeways. The chase ended near Via Campo and Garfield Avenue after the suspect's vehicle got stuck between two cars in traffic.
Lorta got out and tried to carjack someone else, but police closed in on him and opened fire. As officers approached, they kicked away the suspect's gun. The suspect was taken to a local hospital, where he was listed in stable condition Tuesday morning.
One of the many viewers watching it on TV was LAPD Chief Charlie Beck. He says he's proud of how his officers handled the dangerous pursuit.
"It was a well-managed pursuit. The officers kept in mind public safety until the suspect demonstrated that he had a willful disregard for human life, and then they closed up and unfortunately, it resulted in an officer-involved shooting, but the officers, by doing that, surely saved some lives," Beck said.
Authorities say Lorta will likely be facing a long list of charges.
His previous convictions include attempted robbery in 2013, assault and battery in 2010, disturbing the peace in 2008 and attempted grand theft in 2007.
The investigation into the pursuit, carjacking and officer-involved shooting is being led by the Los Angeles Police Department.
PHOTOS: Stolen vehicle suspect leads police on wild car chase
