Man arrested at Panda Express after fleeing police onto freeway twice

Not even a fortune cookie could have predicted this arrest.

A California man who twice escaped police by running onto a freeway was finally taken into custody after he happened to walk into the same Panda Express where officers were eating lunch.

The unlikely encounter happened July 17 at a Panda Express on the 600 block of West Huntington Drive in Monrovia. Body camera footage released by the Monrovia Police Department Thursday shows two officers sitting down to eat when the suspect they had been searching for walked through the door.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, was wanted on a no-bail felony probation warrant. Officers said they had been trying to arrest him for about a month.

In the footage, the officers are seen eating bowls of beef and broccoli when they spot the wanted man. After giving each other a nod, they quickly move in, tackling him and placing him in handcuffs.

“What did I do?” the man can be heard asking.

One officer responds, “You've been wanted. You've been running from me for like a month.”

Officers had previously tried to arrest the man while he was walking, but he fled both times, eventually running onto a freeway and getting away, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

This time, the man did not make it to a freeway. Police took him into custody at the restaurant without another chase.

The Monrovia Police Department poked fun at the bizarre timing of the encounter in its Instagram post.

“At this point, we're not sure if it was good police work, bad timing, or the irresistible smell of chow mein. Either way, an arrest was made,” the department said.

After taking the man into custody, the officers were able to return to the restaurant and finish their meal.

“Priorities,” the department added.