STUDIO CITY— Authorities are searching for a male hit-and-run suspect, who crashed a white Alfa Romeo Stelvio into Akira Sushi at 11830 Ventura Boulevard on Monday, May 22.
At 1:35 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene to find the vehicle inside the restaurant without the driver – described as a Black male wearing gray sweatpants, gray and white sneakers, a blue long-sleeve shirt and an ankle monitor – who reportedly fled on foot with a dog following the accident. Urban Search and Rescue specialists assisted with the removal of the car from the business, LAFD indicated.
The white vehicle was reportedly heading eastbound on Ventura Boulevard before veering off the road, crashing into two vehicles – a white, delivery truck en route and a parked silver BMW – an electrical box, then coming to a complete stop in Akira.
The suspect proceeded to flee the scene on foot with a dog that was in the car. He reportedly grabbed a woman on the street to ask for her phone to “call his wife,” a witness told KCAL 9 news. She declined and the suspect proceeded to get into a cab and was not seen again.
“He must have been going at least 80 to 100 miles per hour,” Matthew, a manager of a neighboring business, told Canyon News. “It wasn’t determined to be a stolen car, but the driver was not the owner,” Matthew continued.
Akira, which has only been open for two months, is closed for business on Mondays. A chef was in the back prepping for service on Tuesday when the crash occurred. No injuries were reported, LAFD reported.
The business sustained major damage and is now boarded up while it undergoes renovations. It is set to reopen in the first week of June, according to its Yelp page.
Police are reportedly going to use the ankle monitor to help track down the suspect.
Anyone with additional information about the suspect is asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department North Hollywood station at (818) 754 -8300.
