Officers Rearrest Man Who Escaped Car in Handcuffs

In a stunt reminiscent of escape artist Harry Houdini, a suspected spouse abuser escaped in handcuffs through an open window of a moving patrol car Friday.

Thanks to a citizen’s help, police caught up with the man about four hours later.

Police from the LAPD’s West Valley Division arrested Carlos Vargas, 26, a spousal abuse suspect, in Reseda near Kittridge Street and Reseda Boulevard.

Officers cuffed Vargas’ hands behind his back and placed him in the rear seat of the patrol car, opening the back window about an inch because of the car’s limited air conditioning and Friday’s heat. As they drove away, Vargas somehow managed to unbuckle his seatbelt, slip his handcuffed hands around in front of him and shimmy his small frame out the rear side window, which he forced open about six inches, said Sgt. Marianus Von Korff.

“They were trying to give the person fresh air in the heat and he slipped out of the moving car,” Von Korff said.

Von Korff estimated Vargas is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds.

Police searched the area but couldn’t find him. A citizen called police later and reported seeing a handcuffed man behind El Pollo Loco restaurant near Vanowen Street and Reseda Boulevard. After a short foot chase, Police rearrested Vargas, who now will also face escape charges, Von Korff said.

In the other incident, two Devonshire Division officers spotted a man who appeared to be dealing in drugs in North Hills. The suspect saw the police and took off running up the San Diego Freeway offramp at Nordhoff Street.

The officers, leaving their patrol car doors open and lights flashing, gave chase. They ran up the freeway embankment while radioing for backup assistance.

Drivers exiting the freeway even motioned to police which way they saw the man running. Another black-and-white patrol car pulled up and two more officers set out chasing the suspect.

Some motorists laughed and shook their heads as they watched police officers running in different directions.

But the suspect got away.

Sgt. Robert Davis of the Devonshire Division said police quickly realized that the suspect probably wouldn’t have drugs on him by the time he was caught, so supervisors decided to call off the search.

“They gave it their best effort . . . but it was fairly quickly determined that this was a big nothing,” Davis said. “You don’t want to commit resources for a lost cause.”