LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A burglary suspect who led Laguna Beach police on a cliffside chase was arrested early Sunday after a police K-9 apprehended him near the beach, authorities said.
The incident started the evening of Saturday, Sept. 19 when officers responded to a burglary alarm at a property in South Laguna Beach, according to the Laguna Beach Police Department.
A man was seen on surveillance cameras at the property, but police said they originally found no signs of forced entry and believed he had left the area.
However, police returned after the reporting party told them the man had come back and was again visible on security cameras.
After containing the area, police sent out a drone, which located the man behind a Laguna Beach home, police said.
The man then proceeded to hide beneath the home's deck.
"He was near the cliff edge and claimed suicide by cop, while holding a glass bottle and a pipe," Laguna Beach Police officers said in a news statement. "Because of the terrain and other safety concerns, officers were unable to approach him."
Footage posted to social media by the city's police department showed the man trying to grab a drone that was aiding police in tracking his location.
According to police, the man later climbed the cliff and crossed onto several neighboring properties, where police said he attempted to get inside homes.
Laguna Beach police eventually cornered him between two properties while he continued to traverse the cliffs in an effort to evade police.
At around 4:22 a.m., the man climbed down the cliff and ran toward the beach, where he was confronted by a police K-9 and soon apprehended and arrested.
His identity was not immediately revealed by police.
No further information was immediately available.
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