Carjacking suspect in Beverly Hills crashes into building near Rodeo Drive holiday lights show

The Beverly Hills Police Department responded to the Rodeo Drive area after an SUV crashed into a building near the city’s holiday light show Thursday night. 

Detectives said 22-year-old Pittsburgh resident James Portul allegedly carjacked a woman’s black BMW X3 at around 7:05 p.m. in the 400 block of North Bedford Drive and drove towards the light show. Portul made it a couple of blocks until he lost control of the SUV and crashed into a pillar outside an office building near the Wilshire Boulevard and Camden Avenue intersection. 

A witness said he was speeding and skidding around the road before slamming into the corner of the building. 

Before striking the building, Portul allegedly ran over two men, one woman and a boy. The Beverly Hills Fire Department took all of the victims to the hospital in an unknown condition. Police said one of the victims was a vendor. 

Portul allegedly ran away from the crash site but officers assigned to a city event quickly detained him in the 200 block of South Beverly Drive. The Rodeo Drive holiday light show was a block away from the crash. 

It’s unclear if the victims attended the event. 

Portul was arrested on two charges, carjacking and hit-and-run with injury.