A helpless puppy was thrown from the window of a car police pursued for two hours during a chase involving a suspect wanted for attempted murder.
Police arrested a total of three people following the chase which took them throughout multiple cities in Los Angeles County on Friday (7 April), as they sought to catch Gustavo Alvarez, 27, who was wanted in connection with an attempted murder and carjacking which took place on 26 March.
Those involved in the chase wrecked the Chevy truck they had initially set off in when they hit another vehicle, but Alvarez managed to jump into another getaway car without getting caught.
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After setting off in South Los Angeles, the chase eventually came to an end in the city of Carson.
The pursuit took place with an eight-week-old puppy in the car, but at one point during the events the dog was placed in a Michael Kors designer bag and thrown out of the window of the moving vehicle.
It's unclear who the puppy belonged to, but the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) assured officers were able to rescue the young dog after it was tossed out of the window, saying in a statement that 'miraculously' the dog came out of the incident unharmed.
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"[The dog] was rescued by responding LAPD officers," the department said. "The puppy is now in the care of South L.A. Animal Services, where it is presently being held pending an investigation into the abandonment concern that was noted during the pursuit."
In an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles, animal care technician supervisor Matthew Spease held the puppy, which has one blue and one brown eye, and said: “All is well as you can see - this little puppy’s doing just fine."
The chase came to an end when Alvarez jumped out of the second getaway car. He attempted to run from police, but was caught and arrested.
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Alvarez, who police suspect of carjacking, was arrested for attempted murder, while police also arrested two women they believe were involved in the chase; Lynette Moreno and Michelle Zamudio.
Police accused Moreno of setting up a second getaway vehicle which allowed Alvarez to continue fleeing from police and have arrested her for accessory and evading, while Zamudio, who police said was the driver of the second getaway vehicle, was booked for evading.
Alvarez is being held without bail, police said. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Emily Brown