3 Arrested in Attempted Simi Carjacking

After a low-speed chase that spanned two counties, officers arrested three people Tuesday night in an attempted carjacking in Simi Valley in which a man was shot in the leg.

The arrests occurred shortly after 8 p.m. on the San Diego Freeway at Victory Boulevard. The suspects, who were not immediately identified, were being questioned at the Simi Valley Police Station.

Simi Valley Police Lt. Ken Tacke said he expected the men would be booked on suspicion of robbery or carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon.

According to Tacke, at least two of the men tried to carjack a man outside his home in the 1500 block of Elvado Drive in Simi Valley about 7:15 p.m. During the incident, the victim was shot in the leg, Tacke said.

Several residents heard the commotion and called police with a description of the suspects’ car, Tacke said. A Simi Valley officer spotted the vehicle on the eastbound Ronald Reagan Freeway and followed it for several miles until backup units joined the chase in Los Angeles County.

While on the Ronald Reagan Freeway, Tacke said, the officer and the suspects traveled below the posted speed limit and the officer did not activate his lights and siren until other officers arrived.

For several miles on the San Diego Freeway, the pursuit was clocked at under 45 mph, authorities said. The suspects eventually pulled over and surrendered, Tacke said.

Some property belonging to the victim was allegedly found in the suspects’ car.

The victim, who was not immediately identified, was being treated late Tuesday at Simi Valley Hospital. Tacke said the wound was not life-threatening.