SAN BERNARDINO, CA. (Pain In The Pass) >> Three teen suspects are in custody after carjacking a vehicle in Barstow and leading authorities on a high-speed chase that ended in San Bernardino.
Barstow Police reported that at approximately 7:42pm on January 18, 2023 Officers Jason Perry and Cody Rhodes were dispatched to 975 Armory Road in the Stater Brothers parking lot regarding a carjacking that had just occurred.
Officers contacted the victim driving a gray Mazda sedan, who reported that he was using an ATM at the location when three black male juveniles walked toward him. The victim also stated that he had left his vehicle running with the driver’s door open during his stop at the ATM. As the juveniles walked toward him, one of them got into the driver’s seat of his vehicle while the other two juveniles approached him.
The victim stated that as he walked toward his vehicle, one of the juveniles lifted his shirt and brandished a firearm, telling the victim, “Do not get stupid.”
The juvenile in the vehicle fled westbound on Armory Road, while the other two fled on foot eastbound on the same roadway.
Officers conducted an emergency ping on the victim’s cell phone, which was left in the vehicle at the time of the carjacking. Because of the ping, officers were able to locate the vehicle traveling eastbound on Rimrock Road and began a traffic stop.
The driver failed to yield, and police officers began a vehicle pursuit on northbound Montara Road, which transitioned onto westbound Interstate 40, then southbound onto I-15, reaching speeds of 130 mph at one point.
The California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit at Hodge Road on southbound I-15 and a CHP helicopter intercepted the chase over head and followed the pursuit down the Cajon Pass.
CHP Officers and the helicopter continued the pursuit to the area of the southbound I-215 near the Palm Avenue/Kendall Drive exit in San Bernardino, where CHP officers deployed spike strips.
The vehicle traveled over the strips and became disabled. The three occupants exited the car and fled on foot. Officers were eventually able to take all three juveniles into custody near the Shell gas station and Denny’s Dinner on Palm Ave.
Barstow Police officers, who followed the pursuit, transported the three juveniles back to the Barstow Police Station, where the victim positively identified them.
The juvenile suspects, ages 14, 15, and 16, were booked at the High Desert Juvenile Detention and Assessment Center in Apple Valley for suspected carjacking and felony evading.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact Officer Cody Rhodes at 760-256-2211 or crhodes@barstowca.org. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can contact the We-Tip Hotline at 800-78-CRIME (27463) or online at wetip.com.
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