Boy, 13, Steals Work Truck, Slams Into Apartment: LAPD

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — A 13-year-old boy is in serious trouble after he allegedly stole a work truck, led police on a chase through North Hollywood Saturday and crashed into an apartment building, authorities said.

The child had been reported missing earlier in the day in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The boy, a resident of Lakewood, had gone missing during a visit to South Los Angeles, Sgt. A. Youssef of the Los Angeles Police Department's 77th Street Station said. By 3 p.m., police found themselves chasing a possibly stolen truck after a hit-and-run collision at Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Victory Boulevard, Officer Mike Lopez of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section said.

As police were chasing the teen driver, the truck caused a crash at Vineland Avenue and Saticoy Street, and, finally, it came to a stop after slamming into an apartment building in the 7200 block of Troost Avenue. Lopez said. The teen, who suffered minor injuries, was arrested. A woman inside the damaged apartment was taken to a hospital to be checked for injuries, according to news reports from the scene.

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.