3rd Suspect Sought in Alleged Kidnap

PACOIMA —  Police were searching Sunday for a third suspect in an alleged weekend kidnapping, officials said.

Two other men have been been booked on suspicion of abducting Juan Carlos Torres, 23, a Pacoima man found on the floor of their car after a police chase early Saturday morning, said Det. Charles Barnes of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Foothill Division.

No motive has been established for the alleged abduction, Barnes said.

Police believe the incident began late Friday night when a group of men, brandishing at least one handgun, broke into Torres’ home on the 13000 block of Pierce Street. One shot was fired into the ceiling, Barnes said.

The men allegedly forced Torres into a car that was spotted several hours later by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies patrolling the Simi Valley Freeway in Chatsworth. A chase ensued, leading back into a residential section of Pacoima.

The pursuit came to an end near the intersection of Omelveny Avenue and San Jose Street, near San Fernando High School. “Apparently the driver made a wrong turn onto a dead-end road,” Barnes said.

The car crashed into a garage and three men were seen running from the vehicle. Torres suffered slight injuries from the crash and was taken to a nearby hospital, Barnes said.

Personnel from several police agencies came to the scene to set up a perimeter. Two of the men were arrested--Salvadore Valencia, 30, and Gabriel Carrillo, 19, both of Pacoima. On Sunday, they were both being held on suspicion of kidnapping, Barnes said.

The identity of the third suspect was not known.