Armed robbery suspects lead police on chase across Phoenix area
Mar 6, 2018, 2:37 PM | Updated: Mar 7, 2018, 12:13 pm
(Screenshots)
(Screenshots)
PHOENIX — A handful of armed robbery suspects led police on a long chase in a stolen car across the Phoenix area on Tuesday.
Four people — including the 22-year-old driver, Scotty Arnold Hernandez — were detained. Two of them were placed in handcuffs during the chase, while Hernandez was arrested at its conclusion.
The final person, 22-year-old Dosmieke Sinclair, ran from one of the chase vehicles into a residential area near 107th Avenue and Van Buren Street. He barricaded himself inside an Avondale apartment and was armed with a shotgun.
He was arrested about 5:30 p.m., more than three hours after the pursuit began.
Sinclair told investigators he did not know the car was stolen and ran with the shotgun because he wanted to do his friend a favor.
Police began chasing the car near 24th Street and Indian School Road about 2:15 p.m. after spotting the blue four-door Audi that had been stolen in an armed robbery several weeks ago.
Hernandez allegedly fled from police and wound his way westbound through the city. He swerved through traffic, ran lights and drove in the turn lane on both Thomas and McDowell roads, sometimes cutting into neighborhoods.
After making his way south and Sinclair ran from the vehicle, Hernandez began heading north. Law enforcement deployed a stop stick, which shredded the right rear tire of the Audi.
Hernandez then abandoned the Audi and allegedly carjacked a white Dodge pickup truck at knifepoint. He was seen slamming into at least one car and driving down a dirt median before merging onto the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10.
Two people who stayed in the Audi were detained. One, 23-year-old Alexis Samantha Barragan, was arrested on an outstanding shoplifting warrant. The other person was released pending further investigation.
Hernandez, alone in the truck, exited I-10 near 35th Avenue and made his way to 19th Avenue and McDowell near the Arizona State Fairgrounds where he headed north.
He then made his way into neighborhoods near 19th Avenue and Mountain View Avenue, where he drove erratically — including backing up at high speeds and yelling at other drivers — before bailing out of the truck.
Hernandez ran inside an open apartment building and was arrested shortly after.
Hernandez was charged with two counts of armed robbery, one count of robbery, two counts of driving a stolen vehicle, one count of burglary, one count of unlawful flight from law enforcement and two counts of aggravated assault.
His bail was set at $150,000.
Sinclair was charged with one count of a possession of a weapon by a prohibited person. His bail was set at $2,500.
Sinclair was previously convicted in a federal court of conspiracy to transport illegal immigrants for profit, a felony. He was on parole.
