LA carjacking victim dragged, killed during police pursuit

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A carjacking victim was killed Thursday during a police pursuit of a homicide suspect in Los Angeles, authorities said.

The victim, whose name has not been released, became tangled in the vehicle’s seatbelt and was dragged for several miles (kilometers) during the chase, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The stolen vehicle flipped after it collided with multiple police cars.

The victim’s body was found three houses down from the crash in the city of Inglewood, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, the LAPD said in a statement Friday.

The suspect, Joshua Reneau, initially barricaded himself inside the stolen vehicle for about two hours before he surrendered to SWAT officers. He was hospitalized with unspecified injuries and will be booked on homicide charges after he is released, police said.

Reneau, 31, was wanted in connection with a July 29 armed robbery where three people were shot — one of them fatally — in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Reseda. One of the victims was targeted for his two large necklaces, police said.

Detectives arrested two people in the case Thursday morning on suspicion of robbery and murder and obtained an arrest warrant for Reneau, the LAPD said.

Authorities watching Reneau’s home saw him get into the backseat of a sedan, which drove away, police said. A marked police vehicle followed the sedan, and a pursuit began, during which the sedan crashed into another car and became disabled.

Reneau got out of the disabled vehicle and carjacked another, police said. That vehicle’s driver got stuck in the seatbelt and was dragged for 2 to 3 miles (3.22 to 4.83 kilometers) as Reneau was chased by police before the final crash in Inglewood.

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