Handcuffed Man Who Escaped From Deputy’s Car Is Captured

PALMDALE — A handcuffed suspect escaped from a Los Angeles County sheriff’s patrol car Saturday morning by kicking out a window after deputies mistakenly left him alone, authorities said.

After eluding capture for about 14 hours, he was rearrested nearly 60 miles away in Lawndale, by different deputies.

Mark Pomeroy, 34, was initially arrested at a motel in the 500 block of West Palmdale Boulevard about 5 a.m. on suspicion of stalking and threatening a former girlfriend.

Deputy Alan Dollins handcuffed Pomeroy and put him in the back seat of his patrol car, then returned to the motel to conduct his investigation, said Sheriff’s Sgt. David Sauer. Three other deputies remained outside to watch the suspect, Sauer said.

As they waited, two burglary calls came over the radio and each deputy left to respond, assuming someone was staying behind to supervise Pomeroy, Sauer said.

“That’s kind of the embarrassing part,” Sauer said. “There was a kind of miscommunication.”

After a daylong search, authorities tracked Pomeroy to another motel in the 14900 block of Hawthorne Boulevard, where he was captured without incident at about 7:30 p.m., said Sgt. Robert Norris of the Lennox sheriff’s station. He was no longer wearing the handcuffs.

Pomeroy will face additional charges for escape and damaging county property, Sauer said.