Beverly Hills carjacking suspect crashes, injures 4 amid crowded holiday event

Four people, including a juvenile, were injured after a 22-year-old carjacking suspect crashed into the pedestrians and a building amid the Rodeo Nights, Holiday Lights celebrations in Beverly Hills Thursday night, officials confirmed to KTLA.  

Authorities with the Beverly Hills Police Department said they received reports of a carjacking just after 7 p.m. in the 400 block of North Bedford Drive.  

“The victim stated that an unknown male suspect used force to steal her vehicle, a black BMW X3, before fleeing the area,” BHPD said in a news release.  

Not long after the carjacking, authorities received a 911 call regarding a “vehicle-versus-pedestrian” traffic collision near Wilshire Boulevard and Camden Drive.  

In footage of the incident posted to the Citizen App, the black BMW is seen on the sidewalk where it came to a stop after crashing into a building. The vehicle as well as a portion of the building’s exterior showed significant damage, with the airbags deployed inside the vehicle.  

Paramedics at the scene were working to get those injured during the incident onto a stretcher by the car, while several other people can be seen gathered around another victim laying on the ground not far away.  

“During the initial information gathering, it was discovered that the driver of the involved stolen vehicle lost control and crashed,” police said. “The driver fled the scene on foot, leaving behind multiple injured victims.  

Responding officers were able to quickly locate and arrest the suspect, identified as James Portul, a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  

The victims, two adult males, an adult female and a juvenile male were, were rushed to the hospital for treatment. Their conditions were not immediately known.  

The 22-year-old suspect was booked on charges of carjacking and hit-and-run with injury, authorities said.

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