'Jason Bourne' suspect arrested in downtown L.A. hotel after LAPD standoff
Mystery man finally captured .. but .. "who" is he?

LA Times

June 3, 2010

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.

Streets in the area had been blocked off by police. LAPD Capt. Steve Sambar said police officers earlier Thursday noticed a woman who matched the description of Alexik's girlfriend near the hotel.

The bizarre case began in April when a resident at an upscale downtown L.A. high-rise smelled fumes coming from a neighboring apartment.

Firefighters knocked on the door of the apartment but they were refused entry. Police were called and they broke down the door of the penthouse just as a man inside was escaping through a back window and down a fire escape carrying duffel bags.

The apartment contained sophisticated counterfeiting equipment as well as a cache of weapons, including an AK-47, police said. They also found stacks of counterfeit $100 bills totaling $15,000 and a camera tripod, police said.

But detectives' interest was heightened when they looked out a window and saw that the penthouse balcony had a spot-on view of the U.S. Federal Reserve building on Grand Avenue.

The $3,400-a-month penthouse was leased one year in advance, with payment in stacks of cash, police said.

Detectives are not sure what Alexik, a 33-year-old New Jersey man, was up to and what role, if any, the Federal Reserve might have played in any alleged scheme. They are not exactly sure whom they are dealing with because detectives found multiple identifications, including passports, listing different aliases for the man.

Photos found at the apartment show Alexik with significantly different looks, police said. In one photo, he's clean-shaven, holding a glass of wine and smiling. Another shows him somewhat heavier, with a beard and bandanna covering his forehead.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Heres an UPDATE

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Brian Alexik   Counterfeit suspect nabbed after 6 weeks at large The Associated Press June 3, 2010 LOS ANGELES - A man suspected of counterfeiting money and making parts for illegal weapons was arrested Thursday after escaping from his upscale loft and spending more than six weeks on the run.   Detectives found Brian Alexik, 34, in a downtown apartment and spent hours trying to talk him out while they closed down nearby streets and evacuated the building, Capt. Steven Sambar said. Alexik gave a police department SWAT team the slip on April 19 while officers investigated a complaint of a gasoline smell coming from a high-rise unit. Officers broke down the door and saw Alexik fleeing through a window and down a fire escape. Police said he vanished like Jason Bourne, the spy character known for his daring getaways in "The Bourne Identity" and its two sequels. Investigators found in the loft fake passports, narcotics, ammunition, $15,000 in high-quality fake currency, an illegal AK-47 and other illegal weapons from the loft. Detectives had mounting concerns when they saw that Alexik's penthouse balcony overlooked a U.S. Federal Reserve building. His escape kicked off an international manhunt and much speculation about what the New Jersey native was doing in Los Angeles. Police considered him armed and dangerous. Photos found at his loft showed him in significantly different looks. In one picture, he has a closely shaved head. In another, he has long curly hair. When he was arrested, he had dyed his hair red, police said. On Thursday morning, detectives visited an apartment belonging to a woman they thought had information on his whereabouts. Hours later Alexik agreed to surrender. The 30-year-old woman was also arrested and could face charges of harboring a fugitive. Gregory Koller, 32, who was believed to be Alexik's associate was arrested several weeks ago on suspicion of narcotics possession. http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15221784?nclick_check=1