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Robbery suspect nabbed in garage attic after car chase, manhunt

by M. Dilworth • April 26, 2013

Armed robbery suspect Eric Perez was found hiding in the attic of an occupied home Thursday afternoon. A teenager, who was home alone at the time, lead deputies to the discovery. (LUIS MEZA)
Armed robbery suspect Eric Perez was found hiding in the attic of an occupied home Thursday afternoon. A teenager, who was home alone at the time, led deputies to the discovery. (LUIS MEZA)

PALMDALE – A 16-year-old was home alone from school Thursday when he noticed a sheriff’s helicopter circling his home followed by deputies knocking on his door. The teen consented to having deputies search his backyard for an armed robbery suspect, and they went through the garage because the sliding door wasn’t working, the teen said. Inside the garage, the alert teen made a scary discovery.

“I see that the ladder is moved and the hole into the attic was covered with a board,” the teen said. “I told the cops, ‘He’s up there!’”

Hiding in the garage attic was Erik Perez, the 31-year-old armed robbery suspect who had led deputies on an erratic high-speed car chase, which culminated into a manhunt and neighborhood lockdown Thursday afternoon.

Based on the violent nature of Perez’s crimes, a Special Weapons Team was called in sheriff's officials said. (LUIS MEZA)
Based on the violent nature of Perez’s crimes, a Special Weapons Team responded, sheriff’s officials said. (LUIS MEZA)

Authorities believe Perez is the gunman who held up a Vallero gas station at 95th Street East and Palmdale Boulevard on Wednesday, and then escaped on a motorcycle. Perez may also be connected to an armed robbery at an area Motel 6 that happened within the past two weeks, and he was possibly involved in other robberies, sheriff’s officials said.

With each robbery, Perez showed great potential of escalating his robberies into more violent crimes, according to a sheriff’s department press release.

Thursday afternoon, sheriff’s detectives received information that Perez was in the area of 5th Street East and Avenue Q-12.

Deputies put the neighborhood on lockdown as they searched for Perez,
Deputies put the neighborhood on lockdown as they searched for Perez. (TONY CHEVAL)

While checking the area, deputies located Perez driving a green Ford Explorer. When Perez noticed the deputies, he immediately fled in his vehicle and a car chase was initiated.

The high-speed car chase took place primarily on surface streets until Perez led the pursuit onto dirt roads and unoccupied desert lands, according to the sheriff’s press release.

Perez eventually jumped out of the still moving vehicle and ran into a residential neighborhood at 52nd Street East and Avenue T-8, according to Sgt. Kyle Bistline of the Palmdale Partners Against Crime (PAC) team.

Perez was flushed out with the help of a police dog and then taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. (LUIS MEZA)
Perez was flushed out with the help of a police dog and then taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. (LUIS MEZA)

“Deputies had to get in the car and actually get it in park so it wouldn’t run into someone’s house or car and damage something,” Bistline said.

Dozens of deputies contained the neighborhood and surrounding streets and began searching door-to-door for Perez with the assistance of a sheriff’s helicopter.

Based on the violent nature of Perez’s crimes and the high probability he was armed, a Special Weapons Team and a police dog responded to the containment to assist with the search, according to the sheriff’s press release.

“He actually threw the gun as he was running, the dog was able to find the gun on the path that he ran,” Bistline said.

The search eventually led to the teen’s home, in the 35900 Block of 53rd Street East, where Perez may have been hiding out in the garage attic for more than an hour as the teen was home alone watching television.

“What the cops are stating is that he was hiding in the backyard bush and he got in through the doggy door,” the teen said.

The teen said he was unable to catch a glimpse of the man who had broken into his home because he was ordered outside to safety as soon as deputies became aware of the situation.

“I wasn’t afraid so much, I had an adrenaline rush, I honestly wanted to help the cops with him,” the teen said. “It was really really exciting to see those SWAT guys here. I even got to take pictures with them,” he added.

Perez was taken into custody late Thursday afternoon with the assistance of a Sheriff’s Department police dog. He was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment and is facing two counts of robbery.

–

Filed Under: Crime/ Safety

24 comments for "Robbery suspect nabbed in garage attic after car chase, manhunt"

  1. KATIE says

    May 17, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    ITS FUNNY HOW ALL U PEOPLE R TALKING [removed] ABOUT WAHT HAPPEN AN WAHT HE DID IF U DONT KNOW THE PEOPLE U R TALKING ABOUT U REALLY SHOULDNT OPEN UR MOUTHS EVERY ONE HAS THEIR BAD TIMES IN LIFE. LOVE U ERIK WE R ALL WAITING 4 U TO COME HOME BABE SEE U SOON..

    • Bob says

      June 4, 2013 at 5:08 pm

      People like you are the problem in this Valley. Instead of making sure he reforms, you baby him and act like he did nothing wrong.

  2. M.C says

    May 5, 2013 at 3:24 pm

    Im sad that it got this far..only if things were better this would of never happen. Hes not a bad person hes just been through so many downs in life that got the best if him. we miss u cousin & will b in our prayers. Its a shame how ppl criticize without them knowing their life story!

  3. Luis says

    May 5, 2013 at 2:57 pm

    Another crime!? Like father, like son. To believe I looked up to him when I was smaller.

    • M.C says

      May 5, 2013 at 3:32 pm

      If u know situation then u should know they were 2 completely different things!! + who r u??!!

    • KATIE says

      May 17, 2013 at 9:25 pm

      HE’S NOTHING LIKE IS FATHER NO WHERE NEAR OR EVEN CLOSE.

  4. sikntired says

    April 27, 2013 at 9:47 pm

    Javier I think those are bandages ,the doggy probably tried to eat him.Dirty underwear is funnier though.

    • KATIE says

      May 17, 2013 at 9:28 pm

      NO UNFORTUNATELY OUR SO CALLED LOCAL POLICE BEAT HIM LIKE THAT.

      • AVResident says

        June 4, 2013 at 3:34 pm

        Homie shoulda never been robbing people with guns xD

  5. javier says

    April 27, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    Is he wearing dirty underwear on his face? Pervert!

  6. CARLOS GARCIA says

    April 27, 2013 at 12:28 pm

    GOOD PHOTOS AVTIMES!! I BOUGHT THE VALLEY PRESS YESTERDAY AND TODAY AND THEY DIDNT HAVE PHOTOS LIKE THIS, NOT EVEN OF THE SWAT TEAM… KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AVTIMES! LOOKS LIKE McGRUFF, TOOK A REAL BIG BITE OUT CRIME THIS TIME! OUCH!!!!

  7. Joe says

    April 27, 2013 at 12:15 am

    We live about a block away from that house. My daughter slept through it all. lol

  8. andrew robles says

    April 26, 2013 at 8:56 pm

    Ahaha it was so amazing to witness that :D I thank the police officers once again!

  9. Valinda Castillo says

    April 26, 2013 at 8:49 pm

    Andrew my here I’m glad nothing happened to you and that Perez guy what a Loser for going into my friends house lock his ass up and throw the key away : )

  10. Henry Kimari says

    April 26, 2013 at 8:39 pm

    They always give you a chance or two to give up before they send in the K9, so I hope the Police K9 got in a good chewing on this POS…HaHaHaHaHaHa!!!

  11. Brenda Huard says

    April 26, 2013 at 4:23 pm

    Thank you Lord, for keeping that boy safe and exposing the bad guy!

    • dumbandblind says

      April 26, 2013 at 9:12 pm

      Thank the LASD! What’s the Lord got to do with it?

      • sikntired says

        April 27, 2013 at 10:12 am

        Thank the lord for deputies and dogs and Andrew, an observant teenager.

  12. someone says

    April 26, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    ha, the sheriffs brought that guy into my ER. he was a jerk.

    • sikntired says

      April 26, 2013 at 4:34 pm

      HIPAA,dude.

    • KATIE says

      May 17, 2013 at 9:34 pm

      WELL HOW WOULD U FEEL IF U GOT ATTCKED BY A DOG THATS TRAINED TO KILL THEN FALL FROM THE ATTIC THEN GET TASERED AN BEAT UP AN GETTING ATTICKED BY THE DOG AGAIN BEFORE TAKING U TO THE HOSPITAL?

      • lulu belle says

        June 4, 2013 at 5:21 pm

        Perhaps next time the police will ask him nicely to come out and surrender? I shop at Valero and I am so glad I wasn’t there when he came in and robbed the place. He got what he deserved!

  13. Angie says

    April 26, 2013 at 3:14 pm

    I am glad the sliding glass door wasn’t working and they had to go through the garage. It could have been a dangerous situation for the teen if he went into the house.

  14. Chingo says

    April 26, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    God I love the Antelope Valley!

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