Local News in Brief : Newport Beach : Suspected Gunmen Held After High-Speed Chase

Two men suspected of robbing two convenience stores early Monday were arrested after leading authorities on a high-speed chase through Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, police said.

The suspects, identified as Angel Delgado, 32, and Daniel Ortega Jr., 21, both of Santa Ana, were booked in the Newport Beach jail on suspicion of robbery. They were being held in lieu of $50,000 bonds.

A third suspect escaped and had not been apprehended, said Lt. Tim Newman, a spokesman for the Newport Beach Police Department.

Two men armed with a handgun robbed the 7-Eleven store in Newport Beach about 2:15 a.m., Newman said. Witnesses gave authorities a description of the suspects and the license plate number of the car they were driving. The car had been stolen from Santa Ana, Newman said.

About 15 minutes later, two suspects matching the description robbed another 7-Eleven on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, Newman said.

The suspects were spotted in the vicinity and led authorities on a car chase that ended on a dead-end street in Newport Beach, Newman said. The suspects then fled on foot.

An officer arrested Ortega a short distance away and took him into custody at gunpoint, Newman said. Delgado was arrested at a nearby apartment, after the resident told authorities that a man was hiding in a bedroom there. Delgado was taken into custody without incident.

Police found a loaded 9-millimeter handgun in a nearby trash can nearby and recovered $82 from the robberies, Newman said.

A canine unit, a police helicopter and officers from Costa Mesa and Newport Beach aided in the search, Newman said.