CANYON COUNTRY : Man, 21, Arrested in Carjacking Incident

A 21-year-old Lake View Terrace man was held on suspicion of carjacking a Honda Accord from a Canyon Country parking lot and hitting a pursuer while racing away, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.

Patrick Joseph Blake was arrested at Foothill Boulevard and Orcas Avenue in Lake View Terrace after surveillance by sheriff’s detectives Wednesday, Lt. Harvey Cantor said. Blake was held on suspicion of armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a Nov. 11 carjacking at Vons grocery store parking lot at Soledad Canyon and Sand Canyon roads.

John Bevando, 64, had parked and was about to go shopping when a man approached him and demanded the keys to his car, Cantor said. Bevando tried to walk away, but the man pulled a gun, threatened to kill him, and took his keys after forcing him to his knees.

Paul Kopacz, 19, of Canyon Country chased the stolen Honda, which struck him before fleeing the lot, injuring his left leg, Cantor said. Witnesses gave detectives the license plate number of a black Volkswagen they had seen the gunman get out of before the carjacking.

When arrested, Blake was in a black Volkswagen believed to have been driven by an accomplice, Cantor said. A gun believed to have been used in the robbery was found in the Volkswagen, along with property taken from Bevando’s Honda, which was not immediately recovered.

Kopacz identified Blake as the gunman and detectives obtained an admission from Blake, Cantor said. Detectives were searching for other suspects.