In a scene ripped from the video game franchise Grand Theft Auto, a suspected car thief tossed a live grenade at cops during a wild car chase Friday, causing panic in a residential California neighborhood.
California Highway Patrol officers narrowly avoided catastrophe Friday when the suspect, Carlos Kuceja, 28, hurled the explosive device at them in an effort to avoid capture while driving through Berkeley.
The nearly disastrous incident began when CHP officers tried to pull over Kuceja in Oakland at approximately 3:30 p.m. after he was seen allegedly driving in a stolen car, cops said in a press release.
“When the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, Kuceja fled, and a pursuit ensued,” CHP said. “The pursuit proceeded at slow speeds through Oakland and entered the city of Berkeley.”
Kuceja threw a bag from the driver’s side window during the pursuit, officers said. Another cop not involved in the chase probed the bag only to make the explosive discovery.
“Upon looking inside, the officer observed what appeared to be a grenade with the safety pin partially removed,” police said in a statement.
CHP notified the Berkeley Police Department of the grenade and requested assistance while telling local residents to evacuate their homes. The University of California, Berkeley, Explosive Ordnance Disposal team responded to the area, secured the grenade and cleared the area by 5 p.m., police said.
Meanwhile, the chase for the suspect continued. Kuceja abandoned the stolen vehicle and tried to make his getaway on foot, police said.
Officers chased after him and cornered him on a dead-end street.
The UCPD Bomb Team also searched the abandoned car and determined there were no additional explosives in the vehicle.
After acquiring a search warrant, officers also scoured Kuceja’s residence — a multi-home dwelling where police say he was living illegally –– for other explosives, but none were found, police said.
Residents at the location were temporarily evacuated while police conducted their search.
They were allowed back into their homes by 10:30 p.m., police said.
Kuceja was arrested on felony charges of possession and transportation of a destructive device, possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing police and resisting arrest, police said.
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