Car thief leads police on a chase and tries to escape on a skateboard before being pinned against a fence by a reality star
- Man in stolen BMC lead police on a chase in Van Nuys on Monday
- After crashing into another vehicle he fled on foot
- Used a large skateboard to get away
- Former Operation Repo star Lou Pizarro used his truck to stop the suspect
- Pinned the man against a gate so that police could arrest him
The LAPD have praised the quick-thinking smarts of a reality TV star for helping them pin down an alleged car thief who lead them on a dramatic chase through Van Nuys on Monday.
The suspect was traveling at speeds of up to 90 mph on the 405 Freeway as he attempted to evade police in a stolen blue BMW, before exiting at Victory Boulevard about 3.40pm.
After crashing into the back of a car in stopped traffic, the man fled the vehicle on foot, carrying a large skateboard under his arm.
He rode the skateboard for a short distance along Valjean Avenue before continuing to run, ABC 7 reported.
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Fleeing: This is the moment the alleged car thief smashed into another vehicle stopped in traffic in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, on Monday, before taking off on foot
Escape: The man runs across Valjean Avenue about 3.40pm carrying a large skateboard
Skater: The man rides his skateboard for a short distance before jumping off and continuing to run
That's when Luis 'Lou' Pizarro, creator and star of Operation Repo, saw the bandit and the police chasing him.
Pizarro blocked the man with his red pick-up truck in traffic, forcing him down Cantlay Street.
He then continued to go after the guy, and managed to pin him up against the gate of a driveway using his truck.
The move gave the police on-foot time to catch up with the suspect.
Footage shows them grabbing him and arresting him to the ground.
Pizarro told ABC7 his instinct took over.
Quick-thinking: Operation Repo star Lou Pizarro follows the man in his red pick-up (right) as he attempted to help out police in the case
Citizens arrest: With police close by, Pizarro turns to stop the alleged thief using his truck
Nowhere to go: This is the moment Pizarro is able to stop the man by pinning him against a fence
Halt: The bandit is stopped in his tracks by Pizarro's truck, giving police time to catch up
On the ground: The suspect, who has not been identified, is arrested to the floor by LAPD officers
'I seen the guy running with a skateboard in his hand, and he's running from the cops, they're like right on him, there's about six or seven cops, and he got on his skateboard and he started moving, and it was just instinct just to block the guy off, slow him down a little bit,' Pizarro told ABC 7.
'That's all I could do.'
The man was arrested and taken into custody.
He was not immediately identified.
Operation Repo, a reality series about car repossession, finished up in February after 11 seasons.
Pizarro, the creator, director and executive producer, appeared in over 100 episodes, CBS Los Angeles reported.
'Instinct took over': Lou Pizarro said afterwards that what he did was second nature
Star: Luis 'Lou' Pizarro was the creator and director of car repossession show Operation Repo
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