The man first showed up at the store in a stolen golf cart, entered the store, fired several shots, and fled the scene.
MESA, Ariz. — A Mesa man was arrested Thursday after a crime spree that started with a golf cart theft and armed robbery and ended with a rollover crash and a brief police pursuit.
Maricopa County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to an armed robbery at a store near Crismon Road and Apache Trail, east of Apache Junction, at 6 a.m. Thursday. Officials say a man and a woman arrived at the store in a stolen golf cart and armed with “AR-style rifles.” Officials said the man entered the occupied store, fired several shots and fled the scene.
The golf cart was later found abandoned near University Drive and Signal Butte Road.
While officers were processing the two scenes, they received a report of a man attempting to enter a residence near Crismon Road and University Drive while firing shots into the residence. Officers arrived in time to see the man run off before stealing the car, officials said. While fleeing from deputies, the man crashed into another vehicle near Hawes Road and McKellips Road. He then fled the scene again on foot, officials said.
“Mesa PD and officers located the suspect in the wash area on the north side of the crash scene and safely took the suspect into custody,” said Sgt. MCSO spokesperson Joaquin Enriquez said. “At this time, there are no known safety concerns for the public resulting from this incident.”
Officials said the man was taken to a hospital for tests after the accident.
“This individual displayed extreme violence in actions that endangered the safety of our community,” Enriquez said. “This was an outstanding job by all law enforcement agencies involved in bringing this volatile situation to a peaceful end.”
No injuries to law enforcement or civilians were reported. Officials said the suspect will be charged with multiple felonies once he is released from the hospital.
The crime spree and investigation lasted a total of eight hours. Residents nearby were told to lock their doors and stay indoors while police searched for the suspect.
Frank Tune, who lives in the area, said he was out for lunch when he found out what was happening. His thoughts quickly turned to his family, who were home at the time.
“When you have a child with a wife at home, it's really nerve-wracking to have someone like that on the loose,” Tune said.
Mr. Tune rushed home to be with his family. He said he told his wife to close the door and take her children upstairs.
“I had my cell phone ready to call 911 and she had her cell phone ready in case he ran into the backyard or something like that,” he said. .
Everyone is thankful that no one was hurt under the circumstances.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Sospechoso en custodia tras búsqueda en Mesa
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