Suspect abandons stolen Caltrans truck, tackled by CHP officer after chase ends in Wilmington

WILMINGTON, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A suspect who tried stealing a Caltrans work truck attempted to flee on foot and was tackled by a California Highway Patrol officer Thursday following a high-speed chase.

According to a spokesperson for Caltrans, a maintenance supervisor parked the truck on the shoulder of the W. Harry Bridges Boulevard near the 110 Freeway with its lights on.

He went behind a building to work on some palm trees and when he got back, the truck was gone, the spokesperson said.

Shortly after 12:30 p.m., the driver of the truck was heading southbound on the 710 Freeway in Long Beach while being pursued by the CHP.

The driver exited the freeway and the chase made its way through the Harbor City area as authorities used a spike strip in an effort to disable the vehicle. The suspect managed to evade the spike strip.

Just after 1 p.m., the driver pulled over and abandoned the pickup truck near a 99 Cents Only Store in Wilmington. While attempting to escape on foot, the suspect was tackled by a CHP officer in front of the store.

The suspect was then handcuffed and placed in the backseat of a Highway Patrol vehicle without further incident.