Carjacking Suspect Taken Into Custody By Two Alert Officers
May 10, 2008
On
Saturday, May 10, 2008 at approximately 9:30 p.m., 19-year-old
suspect, Victor Rocha, was taken into custody by Mesa Police
after committing an armed carjacking, colliding into a garage
and leading officers on a foot chase.
At 9:20 p.m. on Saturday, May 10, Mesa Police responded to a
fast food restaurant in the area of McKellips and Country Club
reference a carjacking that had just occurred. When police
arrived, they contacted a 35-year-old while male victim who
stated he was inside of 2003 Chevrolet pickup truck talking on
the cell phone with the windows rolled down in the parking lot
of the restaurant, when he noticed an unknown male walk up to
his window. The victim stated the man pulled out a sawed off
shotgun from his waistband, pointed it at the victim, ordered
him to get out of the vehicle and lay face down on the ground.
The suspect then got into the victim's truck and drove off.
The victim provided police with a detailed description of the
vehicle and shortly after the vehicle description was voiced
over the police radio, two officers who were on active detailed
patrol, observed the described victim's vehicle in the area of
Main Street and Country Club. The officers followed the vehicle
into an apartment complex and activated their lights and sirens
to initiate a traffic stop. Rocha, who was driving the truck,
did not stop and attempted to evade police. While fleeing from
police, Rocha collided into a garage inside the apartment
complex property. After the collision, Rocha ran out of the
truck on foot and jumped over a wall into a nearby residential
backyard. The two officers chased Rocha on foot. Rocha did not
comply with the officers commands to stop and was resisting
arrest. One of the officer deployed his Taser and struck Rocha
in the upper back. While taking Rocha into custody he stated to
police," I needed the money for my kid," and "The shotgun is in
the truck."
After being identified as the male who carjacked and pointed the
gun at the victim, Rocha was booked for one count of Armed
Robbery, one count of Criminal Damage, one count of Prohibited
Weapon Possessor, and one count of Resisting Arrest.
A great job was done by the two Mesa Police officers who were
actively vigilant and took Rocha into custody.