Robbery Suspect Held After Chase

A man who has refused to give his name to authorities was arrested Friday morning after allegedly robbing a Food 4 Less store in Oxnard and then leading officers on a high-speed chase into Los Angeles County.

The man and a partner robbed the store at 150 W. Esplanade Drive about 6:30 a.m. and then fled in a waiting Dodge Neon, said Oxnard Police Cmdr. Ken Nishihara.

Witnesses reported the car’s license number and gave a description of the vehicle, which had been reported stolen from Norwalk, Nishihara said. Sensing that the robbers would be headed for the Los Angeles area, the information was broadcast to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department and to the California Highway Patrol, Nishihara said.

“A sheriff’s patrol car spotted them and followed,” he said.

Only one of the suspects was in the car, a Sheriff’s Department spokesman said. As patrol cars followed the suspect up the Conejo Grade, he allegedly tossed a handgun out the window.

Deputies continued the chase reaching speeds in excess of 90 mph.

At the Winnetka offramp in Los Angeles the man exited the freeway, and Los Angeles police officers picked up the pursuit, the spokesman said. After traveling on city streets for a short time, the suspect jumped out of the car and was captured by Los Angeles police officers.

A handgun believed to be thrown out of the vehicle was found at Wendy Drive.

As of late Friday, Oxnard police investigators were still having difficulty identifying the man and are trying to determine his identity through fingerprints.