Sex offender accused in violent carjacking, police chase in Covina

COVINA, Calif. (KABC) -- A registered sex offender with a lengthy record and multiple parole violations is accused of carjacking a grandfather and 1-year-old grandson in Covina and then leading police on a dangerous chase before he was caught.

Covina police say suspect Brian Edward Hardy has a record that includes sex acts with a child, weapons and drug offenses. He had violated parole multiple times in the past and was currently on Post Release Community Supervision.

Hardy is accused of carjacking a man who was sitting in a parked car with his 1-year-old grandson in the vehicle. The incident was reported around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 1350 block of North Grand Avenue.

The suspect allegedly stole the car with the man and child still inside and drove off, police say. But the grandfather was able to jam the car's transmission into park and fled the car with his grandson.

Officers tracked the suspect down in San Dimas, but say he drove at them with the carjacked vehicle and then fled.

They chased him through San Dimas and Covina before he crashed into a passing motorist at Valley Center Drive and Covina Boulevard. The other driver was hospitalized.

Hardy was arrested and is now facing charges of carjacking, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and evading.