HOT LINE: 415 240 34 82
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Bakersfield police have released more details on the May 26 armed robbery at the Valley Plaza Mall that ended with a high speed pursuit in Castaic.
According to police, officers responded to reports of an armed robbery outside of the Valley Plaza Mall just before 6:30 p.m. Two juvenile victims at the scene told officers they were walking outside the mall when several men wearing ski masks brandished a handgun at them. The masked men then took jewelry and other belongings from the victims before fleeing in a vehicle.
A short time later, BPD spotted the suspect vehicle in the 4900 block of Stine Road. Officers attempted to pull the vehicle over which was occupied by four suspects, the news release said.
The driver refused to stop and led officials on a pursuit through east Bakersfield. During the chase, the stolen property taken during the robbery was thrown out of the vehicle and later recovered by officers, police said.
The pursuit continued to southbound Highway 99 towards southbound Interstate 5, where California Highway Patrol took over. The suspects eventually abandoned the vehicle on Sloan Canyon Road at Nares Drive in Lebec, according to the release.
After a short foot pursuit, officials arrested all four suspects and transported and booked the men into the Kern County Jail on suspicion of robbery, gang participation, willful cruelty to a child, resisting arrest, weapon violations and offenses associated with the pursuit.
The four suspects are from Bakersfield and have been identified as:
Manjot Rangi, 20,
Jay’Vontae Thompson, 18,
Deqwon Thomas, 20,
Damien Diaz, 25.
All four men are scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. Three of the men are being held on $110,000 bail, while Rangi is being held on $135,000 bail.
