Crash Ends Chase as Driver Runs Barrier

NORTH HILLS —  Authorities arrested a 26-year-old Los Angeles man on suspicion of drunk driving after he drove through the scene of a double shooting and led police on a chase that ended in a crash, injuring him and a passenger, officials said.

The incident occurred Friday night, when the suspect, Antonio Mendez, drove a Honda Civic through a line of flares that had been set up three hours earlier to cordon off the scene of a double shooting in the 14800 block of Roscoe Boulevard, Officer Mike Partain of the Los Angeles Police Department said Sunday.

“When officers went to stop the motorist, he took off, so they jumped into their car and a pursuit ensued,” Partain said. “The driver of the Honda ended up losing control of his car and ran off the road and hit a block wall, causing his car to overturn at about Roscoe and Reseda Boulevard.”

Mendez, who sustained injuries to his face and hands, was booked into the jail ward at County/USC Medical Center, Partain said. His passenger, Tomas Sequel, 23, was listed in critical condition Sunday with a fractured skull.

Partain said the chase was not related to the shooting, which happened about 5:20 p.m. when a gunman fired at two teenagers. One of the youths suffered four gunshot wounds to the head and was listed in extremely critical condition Sunday.

The other’s wounds, in the back and wrist, were not life-threatening.

Police did not identify the wounded youths. There have been no arrests in the shooting.