2 ARRESTED IN AUTO-THEFT CASE.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

PALMDALE - A car chase lasting less than a minute ended when a stolen car crashed into a block wall in an east Palmdale neighborhood, sheriff's deputies said.

The driver and a passenger jumped out of the car and over the smashed wall. About an hour later, a police dog found Robert Guardado, 24, of Van Nuys, and a 16-year-old boy hiding in a back yard, deputies said, and the two were arrested on suspicion they had been the pair in the stolen car.

``Both of the suspects were bitten (and) suffered minor injuries,'' said Deputy Dave Miklos of the Palmdale Sheriff's Station.

Deputies said Guardado had been the driver, and he was being held at the Lancaster sheriff's station - in lieu of $30,000 bail - on suspicion of auto theft. The 16-year-old boy was released to his parents.

Deputies said the driver committed a traffic violation just before they began following the 1992 Toyota Tercel at about 4:30 a.m. on 30th Street East near Avenue Q. Checking the license number, deputies learned that it had been reported stolen last month.

When the deputies turned on the patrol car's lights and siren, the Tercel sped into a residential neighborhood, failed to complete a turn onto Pond Avenue from Avenue Q-4 and hit a block wall at the rear of a home.

Deputies surrounded the neighborhood and searched yards until the two suspects were in custody. Deputies did not immediately know from where the car was reportedly stolen.