Home Invasion Suspect Eludes Capture in Venice on Monday Night

A suspect in a home invasion narrowly slipped through the fingers of the LAPD on Monday night after a more than three-hour search that brought K-9 units and helicopters to the area near the west end of Abbot Kinney Boulevard. 

"We'll just have to find him another day. We know who he is," LAPD Sgt. Marc Reina said around 9:30 Monday night, after police called off the hunt. 

This reporter was on a police ride-along with Reina when LAPD officers spotted the suspect and were at the command post during the early minutes of the search.

The suspect was identified from witness statements after a break-in on the 100 block of Dudley Avenue a few days ago, which left one victim with minor injuries, Reina told Patch.

The suspect was spotted shortly after 6 p.m. Monday by LAPD officers, who pursued him on foot and set up a perimeter, closing streets at Brooks Avenue, along 4th Avenue and on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

The suspect is a 30-year-old Hispanic man with a "Venice" tattoo across his chest. He is also a parolee-at-large, meaning that he did not check in with his parole officer as mandated, and he is a known local gang member, Reina said.

Several intersections in northern Venice were closed while police searched for the suspect, including Brooks Avenue and Main Street and streets in the vicinity of Rose Avenue and Pacific Avenue. K-9 units were unable to locate the suspect, and the search was called off.

Editor's note: This story was updated to add that Patch was on a ride-along with police during this incident.

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