LAPD Arrests Stolen Dirt Bike Rider After 1-Hour Chase Across Los Angeles

Q: Who planted the mysterious jug of gasoline in the park for the fleeing dirt bike rider?

It is not known who planted or left the jug of gasoline in Athens Park. The reporting from ABC7 and the additional coverage all say the same thing: the rider stopped in the park, picked up a gas can that had apparently been left there, and tried to refuel before taking off again. But neither police nor reporters identified any person responsible for placing it there. Given that the suspect was seen using a cellphone during the pursuit and was reportedly speaking with an AIR7 photographer at one point, it has prompted speculation that someone may have coordinated the fuel drop. Still, there is no confirmed evidence in the available reporting that an accomplice planted the gas can, and no official statement has named anyone. So the factual answer is that, as of the latest reports, authorities and journalists have not determined who left the gasoline in the park.

Q: Why was a news photographer talking on the phone with the suspect during an active police chase?

It is not clear from the available reporting why the AIR7 photographer was speaking with the suspect during the chase. What is established is that ABC7’s Chris Cristi said on air that the rider was using a cellphone and at one point was on the phone with an AIR7 photographer while fleeing police. None of the reports provided explain who initiated the call, how the suspect got the photographer’s number, what was said, or whether the station was trying to gather information in real time. In fast-moving breaking news, suspects sometimes contact media outlets on their own, or journalists may answer incoming calls to verify identity and understand what is happening. But in this case, that remains speculation unless ABC7 or law enforcement provides more detail. So the factual answer is limited: the contact happened, according to the broadcast report, but the reason for it has not been publicly explained in the coverage cited.

3 articles · Updated · WABC-TV · Aug 20

More than an hour after the pursuit began just before 5:40 p.m., officers arrested the rider at gunpoint in South Los Angeles after he fell off the bike and tried to hide in a recycling trash can.
Police said the dirt bike was stolen, and an early concern that the suspect might be armed faded when no gun was recovered after the chase.
KABC footage showed the rider weaving through alleyways, clipping past cars, cutting through a park and riding without a helmet while at one point using a cellphone during the pursuit.
At a gas station, the suspect drove off with the pump hose still attached, then later grabbed a gasoline jug in a park and appeared to refuel before speeding away again as pedestrians ran for safety.