June 17, 1994
June 17, 1994
By this point, Blanche St. Pierre, 14, has been in foster care since she told authorities about the January night that she ran away from her mother and stepfather's Simi Valley home. In the meantime, her brother Gus, 16, has been in the custody of half-sister Colette, 24, for almost a year.
On the afternoon of June 17, 1994, production was wrapping up on a Warner Freeform pilot that could potentially launch a new series for Gus. Normally, when Colette would pull into a studio backlot to pick up Gus, a security guard would escort her to the administration office to meet him. But on this date, Colette did not show up. Instead of the familiar sight of Colette's battered Honda Civic, Gus was greeted by a white Ford Bronco. And in the vehicle were the two individuals high atop the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.
When John K tried to offer Gus a ride, Gus said no. But when Gus tried to walk back to the studio office, John and Bridgette both tried to grab him and drag him into the truck. That was when Warner security guards opened fire. The cowardly couple pulled out of the studio gate and the chase was on.
Gus sustained a few scrapes on his right cheek from the Kricfalusis trying to drag him into the Bronco. Warner security made several phone calls to Colette's answering machine. But those calls would go unanswered.
Meanwhile, most networks preempted their regular programming to bring a live picture of the chase to the entire nation. SBC was presenting Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Seattle Thunderbirds and New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The network was hesitant at first to cut away from the game, fearing its news coverage would make the suspects more sympathetic than they deserved. But as other networks had become fixated on the chase, SBC's top news anchor Dave Marash urged the network to reconsider. SBC's Seattle affiliate KCPQ chose instead to run a ticker on the lower third of the screen while the game continued.
At 8:20 PM Pacific time, the fugitive pair surrendered to police who surrounded their Simi Valley residence. Both were booked into the East County Jail in Thousand Oaks to await trial.
By this point, Blanche St. Pierre, 14, has been in foster care since she told authorities about the January night that she ran away from her mother and stepfather's Simi Valley home. In the meantime, her brother Gus, 16, has been in the custody of half-sister Colette, 24, for almost a year.
On the afternoon of June 17, 1994, production was wrapping up on a Warner Freeform pilot that could potentially launch a new series for Gus. Normally, when Colette would pull into a studio backlot to pick up Gus, a security guard would escort her to the administration office to meet him. But on this date, Colette did not show up. Instead of the familiar sight of Colette's battered Honda Civic, Gus was greeted by a white Ford Bronco. And in the vehicle were the two individuals high atop the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.
When John K tried to offer Gus a ride, Gus said no. But when Gus tried to walk back to the studio office, John and Bridgette both tried to grab him and drag him into the truck. That was when Warner security guards opened fire. The cowardly couple pulled out of the studio gate and the chase was on.
Gus sustained a few scrapes on his right cheek from the Kricfalusis trying to drag him into the Bronco. Warner security made several phone calls to Colette's answering machine. But those calls would go unanswered.
Meanwhile, most networks preempted their regular programming to bring a live picture of the chase to the entire nation. SBC was presenting Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Seattle Thunderbirds and New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The network was hesitant at first to cut away from the game, fearing its news coverage would make the suspects more sympathetic than they deserved. But as other networks had become fixated on the chase, SBC's top news anchor Dave Marash urged the network to reconsider. SBC's Seattle affiliate KCPQ chose instead to run a ticker on the lower third of the screen while the game continued.
At 8:20 PM Pacific time, the fugitive pair surrendered to police who surrounded their Simi Valley residence. Both were booked into the East County Jail in Thousand Oaks to await trial.
