'Jason Bourne' suspect arrested in downtown L.A. hotel after LAPD standoff

The LA Times ^ | June 3, 2010 | Andrew Blankstein

[caper gal 1]

LAPD officers surrounded a downtown L.A. hotel and took into custody an elusive suspect that police have likened to Jason Bourne, the fictional secret agent known for his daring getaways and high-tech gadgetry in a series of films played by Matt Damon.

Police have been looking for Brian Alexik for nearly two months, ever since they allegedly found weapons and counterfeit cash inside his loft, which is located right outside the Federal Reserve building in downtown L.A.

LAPD sources told The Times that police surrounded a hotel off Hewitt Street near Little Tokyo and eventually detained Alexik as well as a girlfriend. He is now being questioned.

[caper gal 1]

With all the heavy news going down, this makes for an interesting read. Who is this guy????? The story does read like a Bourne Identity script.

[R_Kangel]

WOW, I wonder if the asked him for his papers?

[Doc Savage]

Sounds like an average LA kind of guy.

[HushTX]

What high tech equipment? That’s not part of the Bourne mythos.

[dread78645]

Was his first job in Berlin?

[JRandomFreeper]

LAPD giving themselves airs. Dumb crook gets caught with goods. LA is too close to Hollywood.

/johnny

[caper gal 1]

I’m thinking he’s having fun with the FED jerking their chain about how he’s printing worthless money just as fast as they are.

[Star Traveler]

Police Nab Alleged 'Jason Bourne' Counterfeit Suspect

Police arrested 33 year old Brian Alexik after a 5 and a half hour standoff at a hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

KTLA News
2:31 PM PDT, June 3, 2010

33 year old Brian Alexik (Photo: LAPD)

LOS ANGELES -- A suspected counterfeiter who was described by police as a "Jason Bourne" type character is finally in custody.

A SWAT team arrested 33 year old Brian Alexik at 2:00 p.m. after a 5 and a half hour standoff at a hotel in downtown Los Angeles Thursday afternoon.

Alexik has been the subject of an international search after police found counterfeiting equipment, passports and other sophisticated equipment at a loft across the street from the Los Angeles Federal Reserve.

The investigation began on April 19th when police and fire units responded to a tenant's report of a gasoline smell coming Alexik's seventh floor apartment at the Reserve Lofts at 409 West Olympic Blvd. in downtown L.A.

Officials used a battering ram to break down the door. Once inside, they saw him escape through a back window and down the fire escape with several duffel bags over his shoulder.

"He escaped like Jason Bourne," LAPD Deputy Chief Mike Downing of the Counter-terrorism Bureau said, referring to the movie spy character known for his daring getaways and high tech gadgetry in the films starring Matt Damon.

Inside the apartment they found sophisticated counterfeiting equipment as well as a cache of weapons, including an AK 47. They also found stacks of counterfeit $100 bills, a camera tripod, and a gas powered electric generator.

The case intensified when detectives looked outside the window and saw that the penthouse balcony had a direct view of the U.S. Federal Reserve building on Grand Avenue.

The apartment manager says Alexik leased the $3,400-a-month penthouse, and paid in advance with stacks of cash.

"The curiosity in this case is the strategic location in which he [Alexik] chose to operate," Downing told the Los Angeles Times. Photos found at his apartment show Alexik with significantly different looks.

In one photo, he's clean-shaven, holding up a glass of wine and smiling. Another photo shows him somewhat heavier, with a beard and bandanna covering his forehead. Police are now working with the U.S. Secret Service.

Experts who have reviewed the counterfeit money say it's of extremely high quality.

Alexik was considered armed and dangerous. He is wanted on three felony warrants for possession of an AK-47 assault weapon, possession of a short barrel "sawed off" shotgun and being a convicted felon with a firearm. He is also accused of manufacturing weapon parts and narcotics possession.

A man who is believed to be an "associate" of Alexik was arrested several weeks ago.

Gregory Koller, 32, was booked on suspicion of narcotics possession.

[GOP Poet]

"Jason Bourne' aka Matt 'liberal, thumb sucking baby,' would never had set a fire as it would have contributed to globull warming. He would have crumbled them or tore them up in teeny, tiny pieces.

He would not have crawled out the window either. He would have sat on the ledge and claim first, "it was Bush's fault." and secondarily that he was sucking his thumb as no one liked his Obama anymore at that Americans were racist therefore.

[TomServo]

Yup. Journalists can't even get fiction right.

[patriot preacher]

Russian-American? Counterfeit? Next to the Fed? Bourne-like? Sounds like the plot of a Thor or Flynn novel. Will be interesting to see if they can get anything out of him...

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

The investigation began on April 19th when police and fire units responded to a tenant’s report of a gasoline smell coming Alexik’s seventh floor apartment at the Reserve Lofts at 409 West Olympic Blvd. in downtown L.A.

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Wow

VERY high tech

You don’t know much about NY and LA if you don’t know this guy and his type.

BTW

He was staying in a skid row type hotel

Very lush

Very plush

[DontTreadOnMe2009]

I refer to this hotel not the other

a hotel off Hewitt Street near Little Tokyo