Newly released surveillance footage captures the chilling moments before and during a suspected carjacker’s terrifying two-hour rampage across Los Angeles, including deliberately plowing into pedestrians at a Culver City gas station.
Juan Luis Estrada, 45, of Perris, allegedly kicked off the horror on Tuesday, June 16, by carjacking a white Toyota Camry at knifepoint in downtown LA around 6 p.m. He then sped to Culver City, where he slammed into four pedestrians in a hit-and-run near Centinela Avenue and Washington Boulevard.
The nightmare escalated at a local gas station. Newly released Culver City PD video shows Estrada circling the lot before intentionally striking multiple people on the sidewalk and near the pumps, running over one victim’s legs at the exit and smashing head-on into another standing at an intersection. Two more bystanders, including a motorcycle rider, were also hit.
Police say the fiend kept targeting innocent pedestrians as officers gave chase through the streets. During the pursuit, he struck an adult near Braddock Drive and Sepulveda Boulevard, two juveniles on an e-bike near Culver Boulevard and Le Bourget Avenue, and another pedestrian near Canfield Avenue and Culver Boulevard, bringing the total struck to at least eight.
The high-speed pursuit finally ended when Estrada crashed head-on into another vehicle in the drive-thru of a McDonald’s in downtown Los Angeles. He tried to flee on foot but was quickly taken into custody. One officer suffered minor injuries during the arrest.
All eight victims, ranging in age from 15 to 70, survived with non-life-threatening injuries.
Estrada now faces a staggering 10 counts of attempted murder, plus one count of carjacking, one count of felony evading a peace officer causing serious bodily injury, one count of battery on a peace officer, and three counts of felony hit-and-run. He is being held on $10.25 million bail.
“When officers attempted to stop the stolen vehicle, the suspect fled, leading officers on a pursuit through the city while driving recklessly and endangering the public,” Culver City police said.
The disturbing gas station footage, showing the suspect’s deliberate targeting of bystanders,, was released as authorities continue investigating the full scope of the rampage. Anyone with additional information or video is urged to contact Culver City PD.
