A Long Beach man and woman were arrested on suspicion of carjacking and a number of other crimes on Thursday afternoon following a short police pursuit that ended when one of them crashed the stolen vehicle into a parked car, police said.
Police say the two suspects, identified as 34-year-old Jose De Jesus Diaz and 28-year-old Jessica Renee Chavira, used a gun in the area of Anaheim Street and Pacific Avenue to rob a man of his car sometime around 12:32 p.m.
Shortly after, officers nearby spotted the stolen vehicle and attempted to pull the driver over, but they refused, police said.
This initiated a department-authorized pursuit, which ended when the driver of the stolen vehicle crashed into an unoccupied parked car, police said. It’s not clear if anyone was injured in the crash.
Diaz proceeded to flee the scene of the crash on foot, although he was later arrested, while Chavira remained in the vehicle and was subsequently taken into custody, authorities said.
Inside the stolen vehicle, officers discovered two loaded firearms, including a ghost gun, and several rounds of ammunition, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Diaz was booked for one count each of carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a loaded firearm in a public place and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the LBPD. The arrest puts Diaz in violation of his parole, therefore, no bail was set, police said.
Meanwhile, Chavira was booked for one count each of carjacking, carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle and carrying a loaded firearm while not being the registered owner. Her bail was set at $100,000.
Water line break near California Heights neighborhood prompts road closures