Toluca Lake Trespasser Rescued, Arrested After Getting Stuck In Wall

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TOLUCA LAKE (CBSLA) – A man wanted in connection with a burglary investigation was rescued - and then arrested - Thursday after he got wedged between a wall and a building in Toluca Lake.

Cell phone video of Los Angeles firefighters rescuing a man who somehow got trapped between a wall and a garage outside a home in Toluca Lake, Calif. Aug. 30, 2018. (Courtesy video)

According to Los Angeles police, the incident appears to have begun at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night, when a homeowner in the 10400 block of Whipple Street observed surveillance video that appeared to show a person on the property. The video never showed the person leaving, police said.

At some point Thursday, the homeowner searched the property and discovered the suspect somehow stuck between a wall and a garage. It's unclear exactly how many hours the man was trapped before being found.

At around 8:10 a.m., Los Angeles Fire Department crews were called to conduct a rescue of the suspect. It took more than an hour for firefighters to free the man, who was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

The man was arrested on suspicion of trespassing, according to LAPD Officer Rosario Herrera.

He had been sought by investigators in connection with a burglary the night before his rescue in the same block where he was found stuck, Herrera
said.

The arrest has left some neighbors shaken, including Bettina Cusumano, who was still in shock over what happened but grateful her family and neighbors are safe.

"We try and secure a place as best we can, but there are bad people out there," Cusamano said.