LOS ANGELES (AP) — Law-breaking turned into breakdancing at the end of a Southern California vehicle pursuit.
TV news helicopters were overhead Tuesday night when a suspect pursued by the California Highway Patrol finally surrendered, but broke out into a 10-second dance before being handcuffed.
The pursuit began in the Calabasas area and headed east on U.S. 101 into Los Angeles, then north on Interstate 405 where the motorist exited the freeway in the San Fernando Valley.
A CHP cruiser finally bumped the car and spun it out. The driver got out with hands up but did not appear to be fully complying with officers pointing guns at him.
As the scene became illuminated by a law enforcement helicopter’s spotlight, the driver suddenly busted a move before being busted.
uSOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LIFEGUARDS TOW DEAD WHALE OUT TO SEA: SAN CLEMENTE (AP) — A 30-foot (9-meter) dead whale that washed up on a Southern California beach has been towed out to sea by lifeguards.
The Orange County Register reports the carcass was spotted Wednesday just off shore at San Onofre State Beach, a popular surfing spot.
The newspaper says lifeguards on Monday towed a dead whale out to sea from Hermosa Beach, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) to the north. It’s not known if the San Onofre whale is the same one towed off Hermosa.
Authorities try their best to keep carcasses out of shallow water, but currents and winds can push the giant beasts back onto shore.
When a 40-foot (12-meter) dead whale washed up at nearby Trestles in 2016, it cost $30,000 to cut up the 60,000-pound (27,000-kilogram) mammal and haul it to a landfill.
uBobcat killed by car after surviving California wildfire: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say a bobcat that survived a Southern California wildfire has been hit and killed by a car.
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area tweeted Monday that the adult male bobcat known as B-361 died last week.
The animal was struck by a car in Calabasas, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of downtown Los Angeles.
Scientists had been tracking B-361 as it roamed between the burned and unburned areas of Malibu Canyon. The area was scorched by last year’s Woolsey Fire, which destroyed 1,600 structures and left three people dead.
uUSD IDENTIFIES LAMONT SMITH IN ADMISSIONS BRIBERY SCANDAL: SAN DIEGO (AP) — The University of San Diego said former basketball coach Lamont Smith was the previously unnamed “varsity coach” alleged to have taken a kickback in what federal authorities called the largest college admissions cheating scam ever prosecuted in the United States.
The private school said it was able to publicly identify Smith on Wednesday only after the U.S. Department of Justice modified a confidentiality order. The school said the only other people involved in the scandal who were connected to the school are a current student and one who was denied admission.
USD said falsifying or making misrepresentations on an application for admission can be grounds for disciplinary action, including expulsion.
Smith resigned last March, 10 days after he was arrested for investigation of domestic violence the day after the regular-season finale in San Francisco. No charges were filed.
Smith is accused of helping to get a student admitted to USD. He is now an assistant coach at UTEP
DEPUTIES QUELL BRAWL AT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MIDDLE SCHOOL: MORENO VALLEY (AP) — A deputy had to use pepper balls to break up brawls among students at a Southern California middle school.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says a school resource officer requested assistance at Landmark Middle School in Moreno Valley early Tuesday afternoon because of fighting among a crowd of students.
The department says students ignored commands to stop fighting and failed to disperse after being told the school was on lockdown.
A deputy then deployed “indirect” pepper ball saturation rounds. That typically means they are fired into the ground to release the irritant.
Firefighters treated 23 students and deputies arrested a 14-year-old girl for involvement in the disturbance.
Earlier, the school was locked down on a report of shooting. Deputies determined it was false and arrested a 13-year-old.
4 INJURED WHEN PICKUP CRASHES INTO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BAR: HIGHLAND (AP) — Four people were injured when a pickup truck crashed through the wall of a Southern California bar.
Cal Fire says the vehicle ended up entirely inside the structure in the San Bernardino County community of Highland early Wednesday.
One person suffered moderate injuries and three others had minor injuries.
The San Bernardino Sun reports firefighters were called around 12:15 a.m. for a motorist in distress, but the driver sped off and struck other vehicles and objects before smashing into the Party Doll bar.
The Sun says it’s not immediately clear whether the driver was among the injured.
