Garden Grove : Arrest Reported of Man Who Escaped Police Car

A man who police said escaped from the back seat of a patrol car even though handcuffed was arrested at his home in Garden Grove on Tuesday.

Police said Alan A. Milla, 30, tried to run when Stanton officers arrived at the home with an arrest warrant. He was booked into Orange County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence, resisting arrest and the petty theft of the handcuffs.

On Saturday night, police said, Milla was involved in a two-car collision at Lampson Avenue and Beach Boulevard in Stanton. No one was hurt, but Milla failed a sobriety test and was awaiting a ride to police headquarters when he escaped, police said.

The escape was possible because a new police cruiser, pressed into service because of a shortage of squad cars, had not yet had its rear window cranks removed. Police said Milla rolled down a window while the arresting officer was interviewing another person involved in the accident, reached out and opened the car’s door from the outside and fled.

The name of the officer involved, who has been on the force for a year, was not released. Police said he was embarrassed by the incident.

The spokeswoman who released the arrest information said she was unsure what became of the handcuffs.