Suspect arrested after Philadelphia police chase, rooftop arrest identified
KENSINGTON (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police have formally identified the man who was arrested on a city rooftop after a chase earlier this week, in an incident that was captured on video exclusively by Action News.
Luis Rivera-Ortiz, 25, of the 3700 block of Percy Street, was the man who rammed a police car with a van and tried to make a fast getaway, police say. He is charged with Aggravated Assault, Possession of an Instrument of Crime and related offenses.
Rivera-Ortiz was being sought on an active arrest warrant on Wednesday evening. The incident began with Rivera-Ortiz ramming an unmarked police car at 9th and Lehigh streets.
"Two detectives had to physically jump out of the way of the van or they would have been struck," said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.
Rivera-Ortiz, who was being sought for multiple alleged crimes, including burglaries, thefts, stolen autos as well as aggravated assault on an officer, somehow managed to escape from police custody back in March.
Late Wednesday, as he tried to get away again, he drove over the grass median and onto Roosevelt Boulevard going the wrong way into oncoming traffic. That's when officers called off the pursuit.
But the police helicopter and Chopper 6 continued to follow as they observed the suspect jumping onto the center median of the Boulevard where he began to lose control of the van.
He then drove back onto the Boulevard where he was nearly struck by an oncoming vehicle. Finally, he pulled into a parking lot in the 5300 block of 5th Street and made a run for it with foot patrols in pursuit.
He jumped onto the roof of The Rice Cake House where he was finally taken into custody.
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