Man With Baby Leads Chase To Mexico Border -- Dramatic Standoff Ends With Dash To Waiting Tijuana Authorities

LOS ANGELES - A burglary suspect, holding his infant son hostage, led Los Angeles Police on a 150-mile high-speed pursuit yesterday that ended in a dramatic standoff at the Mexican border, where the suspect dropped the child and sprinted across the international frontier into the waiting arms of Mexican authorities.

California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles Police Department officers who had been chasing the suspect took a few steps across the border but could only watch as he ran into Mexico.

Mexican authorities turned over the suspect, Eddie Price, to U.S. officials yesterday afternoon. Los Angeles Police said Price, a West Los Angeles man about 35 years old, was wanted in connection with a December burglary in Los Angeles.

The tense border confrontation, aired on live television, included the scene of a U.S. Customs officer trying to talk Price into surrendering moments after his car came to a stop about 30 feet from the border.

Even by the standards of Southern California, where freeway police chases are part of the everyday din of television news, yesterday's drama was unusual.

The incident reached its climax as Price held his 1-year-old son, Justin, in his arms, inching toward the border while more than a dozen officers with guns drawn surrounded the pair.

Price said he would release his son only if police let him cross the border.

Price, holding a knife to his own throat, suddenly gave up the child to the customs officer just a foot or so inside the United States, and ran toward a row of customs booths marked "Mexico."

Soon, he was swallowed up by a bevy of Mexican police officers and television crews.

Only a U.S. police dog violated international protocol and continued the chase in Tijuana, where it was joined by a Mexican police dog. At least one of the canines apparently bit Price before he was taken into custody.

"It's a different situation than we normally see," said Highway Patrol spokesman Stan Hruza. "We could only follow them up to the border. After that we don't have jurisdiction in Mexico."

Justin was unharmed, officials said.

After being examined at a San Diego hospital, the child was driven by authorities to Los Angeles, where he was reunited with his mother, police said.

Price was being held without bail in Los Angeles on charges of burglary, evading arrest and child endangerment.