**Kidnapping of Three Children Ends in Violent Crash on Pacific Coast Highway Friday Night

MALIBU, Calif. — A harrowing carjacking and kidnapping incident involving three young children culminated in a multi-vehicle crash on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near Kanan Dume Road in Malibu on Friday, August 29, 2025, leaving the children and two adults injured. The suspect, who fled the scene on foot, was apprehended by authorities after a dramatic pursuit.

The incident began around 6:40 p.m. at a 7-Eleven convenience store on the 5100 block of East Olympic Boulevard in East Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), a mother had parked her gray Chrysler sedan, leaving it running with her three children—ages 2, 7, and 9—inside while their father waited nearby in another vehicle. A male suspect jumped into the sedan and sped off with the children still inside. The father attempted to intervene but was dragged a short distance, sustaining upper-body injuries.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department initiated a pursuit, which was later taken over by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) as the suspect fled through East Los Angeles, onto the westbound 10 Freeway, and eventually to Santa Monica, where he entered PCH. The chase, described as mostly slow initially, escalated after deputies deployed a spike strip, causing the suspect to drive erratically at speeds up to 70 mph. Authorities opted against a PIT maneuver due to the presence of the children in the vehicle.

Around 7:35 p.m., the pursuit ended in a violent crash when the suspect ran a red light at the intersection of PCH and Kanan Dume Road, T-boning an SUV driven by an 80-year-old man with an elderly female passenger. The collision caused a multi-vehicle accident, damaging at least four other cars, including one driven by witness Erica Trujillo, who described bracing for impact as the suspect’s vehicle careened toward her.

AIR7 footage captured the chaotic aftermath, showing first responders rescuing the three children—one strapped in a car seat—from the totaled vehicle. All three were conscious and breathing at the scene and were airlifted to UCLA Medical Center in Westwood with minor to moderate injuries. The elderly couple in the T-boned SUV was also hospitalized, though their conditions remain undisclosed.

The suspect, described as shirtless and barefoot, fled the crash site, running through brush, hopping fences, and attempting to carjack another vehicle before being apprehended by LASD deputies in a nearby Malibu neighborhood by 7:50 p.m. His identity has not been released, and he remains in custody as the investigation continues.

Portions of PCH were closed late into the night as authorities investigated and cleared the scene. The children’s mother spoke out about the ordeal, expressing relief that her children survived but highlighting the trauma of the incident.[](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/tag/pacific-coast-highway/)

The LASD and CHP continue to investigate the circumstances of the carjacking and crash, urging anyone with information to contact the East Los Angeles station at (323) 264-4151.

This incident underscores ongoing concerns about vehicle theft and pursuits on PCH, a highway notorious for high-speed crashes. Authorities are reviewing pursuit protocols to balance public safety and the apprehension of suspects in such critical situations.[](https://ktla.com/news/local-news/fatal-head-on-collision-closes-pacific-coast-highway/)