4 injured after man carjacks BMW, crashes into Beverly Hills building near holiday celebration

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- At least four people were injured when a 22-year-old man carjacked a BMW and crashed into a building in Beverly Hills during the annual holiday light celebration on Rodeo Drive, authorities said.

According to police, James Portul of Pittsburgh carjacked a woman driving a BMW X3 around 7 p.m. in the 400 block of North Bedford Drive.

A short time later, Portul lost control of the SUV and crashed near the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Camden Drive, which was jam-packed with people attending the event.

Portul ran away but was quickly caught and arrested by officers who were assigned to the holiday event.

Emergency crews rushed to the crash scene and brought four people - two men, one woman and a male juvenile - to local hospitals.

None of them suffered life-threatening injuries, though one of the victims remains at the hospital. The remaining three have since been released.

Police said there were reports of a dog that was pinned under a vehicle during the incident, but Eyewitness News was told the dog survived the injuries.

Portul was booked on suspicion of carjacking and hit-and-run with injury, police said.

He was being held on $100,000 bail, according to jail records.