Whittier man details confronting chase suspect, trying to stop theft of his family's work truck
WHITTIER, Calif. (KABC) -- A man detailed the terrifying moment a suspect broke into his family's Whittier home and stole their utility truck as he rampaged through the streets of Los Angeles and Orange counties during a chase Wednesday.
"It just makes me upset how a low life can do all this to innocent people just trying to live life. When I saw him in the eyes I already knew he didn't care about his life," Andres Benitez said about the suspect who stole another vehicle and rammed police cruisers and other cars during a lengthy and violent chase.
Benitez's family truck, which they just purchased for their landscaping business, was stolen by the man during the middle of his crime spree.
The suspect had just apparently hot-wired a white van in Anaheim prior to arriving in Whittier. He abandoned the stolen van after a wheel came off and ended up walking into Benitez's home, taking the keys to the new truck parked outside in the driveway.
Chase: Suspect rams police cruiser, steals vehicles during violent pursuit through LA, OC
Benitez says he was in the kitchen when he heard the suspect break in, and he got a knife to scare off the intruder. He says the suspect appeared to be high on drugs.
The confrontation between the suspect and the family spilled onto the driveway. Benitez was being held back by his mother as he threatened the thief with the knife, but the suspect smashed through their front gate and took off.
"It just breaks my heart because that truck he stole is our work truck, and we use it every day," Benitez said. "That truck we had literally just gotten three weeks ago."
WATCH: SoCal family tries to stop suspect from stealing truck during chase
The family set up a GoFundMe page to help buy some tools that were in the truck.
Eyewitness News also spoke to the owner of the white van, John, who said he found out his vehicle was stolen when he was called by the president of his homeowner association as he was leaving Knott's Berry Farm with his children.
"The keys are right here and I definitely lock my car every time," the man said, holding up his keys. "He either has some kind of master key or he hot-wired the car. But he definitely knew what he was doing because after he got done with my car he was able to hop into another car and take it as well."
John said he uses the van for work and he now has to rent another vehicle to replace it. A GoFundMe has been created to help him find the van.
"I'm completely blown away, and I'm a little stunned and dumbfounded at this point," John said. "I'm still trying to process it all. But like I said I have to go rent a van and who knows how long I will be renting this van... It puts us in a pretty tight predicament. "
During the course of the violent chase, the driver sideswiped cars and rammed into police cruisers before he crashed the stolen truck into nearby cars and was slammed by a deputy's patrol vehicle at a gas station in the City of Industry.
WATCH: Dangerous SoCal chase ends as deputies shoot into stolen truck
An innocent driver whose car was hit by the suspect was briefly detained by deputies near the gas station. The driver, Adrian Cruz, said he was on his way home from work with his family right before the chaotic scene unfolded in front of him. He got out of the car because he said he wanted to get out of the way of any crossfire.
"It just sounded crazy, like a warzone. I got out of the car immediately - I don't want my son and my wife to be a part of that," Cruz said. "As soon as I get out of the car the cops just smash me, start socking me up, smashing me, threw me in the back like if I was the dude who stole the car."
Cruz was released shortly after. The sheriff's department has not yet responded when asked why Cruz was detained.
Sheriff's deputies later opened fire on the chase suspect's stolen truck after it backed into a patrol car.
The suspect was finally pulled from the truck at gunpoint.
It did not appear he was seriously injured. He was conscious and did not appear to be bleeding as he walked on his own with deputies escorting him from the scene. His rampage lasted more than an hour and ended at about 6:15 p.m.
