By Veronica Rocha
Los Angeles Times
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — If police chases in Southern California couldn’t get any more strange, imagine this: Officers stopped a carjacker who they said stole a DeLorean, then crashed during a slow-speed pursuit near Santa Monica beach.
No, this wasn’t a preview for the next “Back to the Future” flick, and Doc Brown wasn’t the driver behind the wheel. This scene played out Thursday along Ocean Avenue.
The pursuit began about 7:15 a.m. when the owner of the gray DeLorean DMC-12 — a vehicle made famous by the 1985 film — was showing it off to spectators in the 2600 block of Ocean Front Walk, said Sgt. Erika Aklufi of the Santa Monica Police Department.
“They were looking at the car because it’s so interesting,” she said.
As onlookers marveled at the iconic car with its gullwing doors, Brian Scott Cottrill, 32, of Oregon approached the owner and took the rare automobile by force, police said.
Soon after, police received a call about the stolen DeLorean.
It didn’t take long for officers to spot the vehicle.
“They are very unique,” Lt. Saul Rodriguez said. “That kind of stands out quite a bit.”
Aklufi said officers chased the DeLorean for about half a mile at low speeds — nowhere near the vehicle’s top speed.
The pursuit finally ended when Cottrill crashed into a car in the 1500 block of Ocean Avenue. Officers boxed in the DeLorean and took Cottrill into custody, police said.
He suffered minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital. Cottrill was booked on suspicion of carjacking, reckless evading and an outstanding traffic warrant.
As for the DeLorean, it was dinged up.
“You don’t see that often,” Aklufi said.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
