Pacific Palisades kidnap victim crashes car to flee suspect

PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- An elderly woman was forced out of her Pacific Palisades home at knifepoint and was led on a terrifying ride that ended only when she intentionally crashed.

Authorities say a Brian Cruz, 45, armed with a knife entered the home in the 16800 block of West Sunset Boulevard and forced the woman to drive him in her SUV to an unknown location just before 8 a.m. Monday.

She crashed her vehicle while trying to get him out in Malibu. Police say Cruz ran and carjacked another vehicle from the Pacific Palisades High School parking lot. He hit several other cars in the parking lot, which disabled the stolen car to the point that he had to dump it near a house on Sunset Boulevard.

Cruz then broke into a nearby house with two women inside and stole a Lexus.

As he fled northbound on Pacific Coast Highway, he collided with another vehicle at Pacific Coach Highway and Malibu Canyon Road, at which time sheriff's deputies caught up to him.

Cruz and two victims in the last accident were taken to a local hospital in unknown condition.