Car Chase Nets Possible Hermosa Burglars

Two people arrested on suspicion of burglary after a televised car chase Tuesday are being investigated as possible suspects in two or three Hermosa Beach burglaries.

Hermosa Beach police believe Melvin Lane, 30, of Long Beach, and Brittani Collins, 25, of Los Angeles, are connected to a Feb. 20 burglary in the 400 block of Hollowell Avenue around 9 a.m. Detectives are investigating the possible connection.

HBPD Lt. Tom Thompson told Patch the female suspect told arresting officers she'd committed a burglary in Hermosa.

On Tuesday, Lane and Collins led law enforcement officers on a multi-freeway chase that ended with their arrests in South Los Angeles. The two fled from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department detectives and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department deputies when officers attempted to pull their vehicle over in Chino Hills.

LASD Major Crimes Detectives were conducting an investigation when the two two suspects allegedly burglarized a residence in the 2900 block of Olympic View Drive, Chino Hills.

During the pursuit, Lane, oftentimes reaching speeds of more than 100 mph, crashed into two vehicles and did not stop, according to an LASD news release. In the area of Exposition Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, Lane fled from the vehicle and Collins continued driving, leading officers on another short pursuit during which she crashed into a bus and another vehicle.

Collins was taken into custody first; Lane was apprehended with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department. Property stolen from the Chino Hills residence was found in the suspect's vehicle and identified.

In addition to suspicion of burglary, Lane and Collins were booked for vehicular evading.

On Feb. 20, LASD detectives were following a silver Lexus in Hermosa Beach and believed its occupants were related to an attempted residential break-in in the 1100 block of 7th Street around 12:28 p.m. In that incident, a black male was seen leaving the scene with a pillowcase. An investigation found pry marks but no entry was made nor anything stolen, said Thompson.

LASD identified two cars in Hermosa that day they believed were involved in the burglaries and asked HBPD to stop the second vehicle on suspicion of burglary and identify the individuals in the car. That stop did not yield any arrests and HBPD gave the information taken in a report to LASD.

LASD told HBPD that they'd been following the two vehicles while conducting an investigation.

The car that was pulled over had been seen earlier in the parking lot of My Fit Foods.

The victims on Hollowell Avenue had left their home unlocked for their maid. The home was ransacked and approximately $6,000 worth of items reportedly stolen.