Three people are in custody early today while another is still at large following a police chase that ended in a quiet residential neighborhood west of El Centro following a pair of armed robberies, an El Centro Police sergeant said.
Officers applied a PIT maneuver to force a white Ford Econoline passenger van to abruptly turn sideways not far from the corner of 23 Road Street and Orange Avenue. A U.S. Border Patrol helicopter roared above the location with search lights as Imperial police officers, Imperial County sheriff's deputies and Border Patrol agents assisted in looking for the missing suspect. The California Highway Patrol was also called in to help, said El Centro police Sgt. Ray Bonillas.
The chase stemmed from an armed robbery of a pedestrian near Fourth Street and Desert Gardens at about 1:30 a.m., which was soon followed by the holdup at the am/pm convenience store at Main Street, Bonillas said. Police saw a van that matched the description of the vehicle involved in the Fourth Street incident and a chase ensued, Bonillas said.
Police believe both robberies are related. Please check Quick News for more updates on this story.
By SILVIO J. PANTA, staff writer
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