The pursuit of a pair of armed robbery suspects who held up a 21-year-old man working in downtown Long Beach early Sunday ended with a crash on a local freeway, police said Monday.
Police were flagged down by the victim at about 12:30 a.m. during their regular patrol near the corner of Pine Avenue and Third Street, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, a Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman.
The victim told police he worked on Pine and he was walking in an alley just off the main downtown street when a man armed with a handgun forced him to give up his personal belongings, the sergeant said.
The gunman then jumped into a waiting gray Ford Mustang with stripes down the side and fled with another suspect, the victim said.
Officers broadcast the information and the suspects were quickly spotted at Anaheim Road and the Long Beach (710) Freeway, Zapalski said.
The patrol officers tried to stop the Mustang, but the driver took off with police in pursuit, Zapalski said.
The pursuit ended a short time later when the suspect vehicle collided with a SUV at the Harbor (110) and Artesia (91) freeways, Zapalski said.
Firefighters called out to the scene transported the victims in the SUV to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the sergeant said.
The two suspects, who were found to have the stolen items in their car, were also taken to a local hospital and checked out before being booked at the Long Beach City Jail.
None of the officers were hurt, she said.
The driver, identified as Ulises Gienchi, 23, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of two felonies, armed robbery and evading police causing bodily harm, as well as a misdemeanor for driving without a license.
The alleged gunman, identified as Francisco Barrientos, 27, also of Los Angeles was booked on a charge of armed robbery, Zapalski said.
Gienchi was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail Monday while Barrientos was being held on $60,000 bail. Both are expected to be arraigned at the Long Beach Superior Court Tuesday afternoon.
Police were flagged down by the victim at about 12:30 a.m. during their regular patrol near the corner of Pine Avenue and Third Street, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, a Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman.
The victim told police he worked on Pine and he was walking in an alley just off the main downtown street when a man armed with a handgun forced him to give up his personal belongings, the sergeant said.
The gunman then jumped into a waiting gray Ford Mustang with stripes down the side and fled with another suspect, the victim said.
Officers broadcast the information and the suspects were quickly spotted at Anaheim Road and the Long Beach (710) Freeway, Zapalski said.
The patrol officers tried to stop the Mustang, but the driver took off with police in pursuit, Zapalski said.
The pursuit ended a short time later when the suspect vehicle collided with a SUV at the Harbor (110) and Artesia (91) freeways, Zapalski said.
Firefighters called out to the scene transported the victims in the SUV to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the sergeant said.
The two suspects, who were found to have the stolen items in their car, were also taken to a local hospital and checked out before being booked at the Long Beach City Jail.
None of the officers were hurt, she said.
The driver, identified as Ulises Gienchi, 23, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of two felonies, armed robbery and evading police causing bodily harm, as well as a misdemeanor for driving without a license.
The alleged gunman, identified as Francisco Barrientos, 27, also of Los Angeles was booked on a charge of armed robbery, Zapalski said.
Gienchi was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail Monday while Barrientos was being held on $60,000 bail. Both are expected to be arraigned at the Long Beach Superior Court Tuesday afternoon.
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