Stakeout Foils Car Thefts; Suspect Shot

Two men driving stolen cars from a Van Nuys auto dealership led Los Angeles police on separate car and foot chases early Friday morning, one ending in the shooting of a suspect, police said.

The other suspect was finally subdued by several blows from a flashlight after he scuffled with police, Lt. Charles Higbie said.

Shot was Darrell Williams, 28, of South-Central Los Angeles. He was taken to Los Angles County-USC Medical Center, where he was treated for bullet wounds to the shoulder, hip and legs. He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was held in the hospital’s jail ward, where he was listed in satisfactory condition Friday night, Higbie said.

The other suspect, Jerry W. Dorsey, 29, of Los Angeles was arrested on suspicion of auto theft, Higbie said. Dorsey was treated for minor injuries and taken to Van Nuys Jail, he said.

Williams and Dorsey both were captured in Van Nuys, but two other men fled on foot and escaped, Higbie said.

Staked Out Dealership

Higbie said police had staked out Valley Motor Center on the 6000 block of Van Nuys Boulevard after getting a tip that it would be the target of an auto-theft ring. Detectives also received information that the car thieves were going to “take down” a uniformed security guard at the dealership, he said.

While plainclothes detectives began surveillance of Valley Motor Center late Thursday night, other cars operated by uniformed officers stood by as chase units, he said.

Shortly after 2 a.m. three men entered the center, shot out the windows of several cars with a pellet gun and cut the chain extended across the driveway, Higbie said. A fourth waited across the street, he said.

Detectives converged on the lot, but before they could block the entrance, Dorsey and Williams drove off in different directions, Higbie said.

Williams, driving a Camaro, struck another vehicle at the intersection of Victory and Sepulveda boulevards, then continued west on Victory, Higbie said. He turned onto Densmore Avenue and collided with a curb, police said.

Higbie said Williams ran from the car and climbed a fence as police chased him. When police saw Williams turn and point in his direction, one officer fired a single round at the suspect, who then continued to flee, he said.

The area was cordoned off, and a police search dog found Williams concealed in the undercarriage of a pickup truck parked in a driveway of a nearby house, Higbie said.

Higbie said officers fired three more shots at Williams when they saw him move his left arm rapidly, believing he was armed. No weapon was found, he said.

Dorsey, who drove a Chevrolet Cavalier, led police along Van Nuys Boulevard until he was near the Ventura Freeway on-ramp, where he struck a post and fled on foot, Higbie said. When an officer reached him, the two scuffled and Dorsey was struck several times by a flashlight, the police spokesman said.