Wanted man carjacks vehicle to flee police

A West Covina man wanted by Culver City police on suspicion of a home-invasion robbery carjacked a driver in Covina Wednesday and escaped from authorities, officials said.
Alfred Pouliot, 27, was being watched by authorities who suspected him in a Dec. 29 home-invasion robbery in their Culver City, Culver City police Lt. Milton McKinnon said.
"We were nearby because we were looking for him," McKinnon said. "We weren't following him or pursuing him or anything like that."
Pouliot apparently spotted the officers near his home in the 700 block of N. Greenberry Avenue about 5 p.m. and led them on a chase to the 1600 block of W. San Bernardino Road in Covina, Covina and Culver City police said.
After crashing his car, Pouliot failed to carjack one vehicle before successfully carjacking another and eluding police, Covina police Sgt. Dave Foster said.
"He attempted to carjack one vehicle and the driver was able to fight him off and flee," Foster said. The second victim was not able to get away from the suspect."
Culver City police and a West Covina police went to Pouliot's West Covina home in case he had returned there, West Covina police Sgt. Dennis Patton said.
"Due to the violent nature of the past incident, our SWAT team was deployed in an effort to successfully take this suspect into custody," he added.
After officers forced their way into the home, they found he wasn't there, Patton said.
In addition to the Culver City home-invasion, Pouliot is now also wanted on suspicion of carjacking, attempted carjacking and hit-and-run in Covina, police said.

- By Brian Day and Thomas Himes