Crime & Safety
Female Passenger in Deadly Car Chase Held on Attempted Murder Charge
Vanessa Acosta, 26, is arrested in connection with a police pursuit that ended in Van Nuys Wednesday night and included shots being fired at officers in North Hollywood.
A woman who rode in a car with a man who was shot and killed by police in Van Nuys was jailed Friday in lieu of $550,000 bail on suspicion of attempted murder and obtaining credit using another's identification.
Vanessa Acosta, 26, was arrested at 9:46 p.m. Wednesday when the chase ended at the intersection of Vanowen Street and Orion Avenue, according to Los Angeles police.
No officers were injured in the shooting, but a 22-year-old man who was in the car with Acosta was shot by officers and pronounced dead at the scene.
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The man, who had an extensive criminal history, fired at officers at five locations during the pursuit, police reported. His name was being withheld. The brief chase that preceded the officer-involved shooting began in the Mission Division's patrol area. According to NBC4, the first shots were fired in North Hollywood on Arminta Street (see attached YouTube video.)
Acosta suffered minor injuries when the car crashed, said LAPD Officer Bruce Borihanh.
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Borihanh said officers had tried to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle kept going. During the chase, shots were fired from the vehicle at officers, Borihanh said.
Officers used their patrol car to force the suspects' vehicle to stop, causing it to crash. The gunman then got out and was fatally shot by police, Borihanh said. A handgun with an extended-capacity magazine was recovered at the scene, he said.
Acosta was combative with police and firefighters as she was taken into custody, according to video broadcast from the scene. She was transported by paramedics for hospital treatment.
