Police Chase Shoplifters from Tempe to Scottsdale, Ensuing Crash Sends Five to Hospital

Scottsdale, Arizona—Tempe Police were called to a Walmart near Elliot Road and Priest Drive Friday afternoon where a couple was accused of shoplifting. The suspects had left the store and were in the parking lot in the process of carjacking a vehicle. When Tempe Police arrived, witnesses directed them to a tan pickup in the parking lot.

The couple had forced their way into the pickup and ordered the owner to drive.  A pursuit began.  When the car’s owner attempted to comply with police orders to pull over, the alleged suspects tried to push the driver out of the moving vehicle.  The driver was able to crawl into the back seat while one suspect took control of the steering wheel.

The pickup exited Loop 202 onto northbound Scottsdale Road.  Scottsdale Police received a call from Tempe Police alerting them to the problem at about 1:00 p.m.  Witnesses report that the tan pickup was driving erratically through traffic on westbound McDowell Road.  Minutes later, the truck sped through a red light at 68th Street and McDowell Road, where it collided with a silver SUV that was southbound on 68th Street.  The unidentified female driver of the SUV sustained life-threatening injuries, while her passenger is in serious condition.

After the initial collision, the pickup hit three more cars before stopping.  The two suspects, a man and a woman, exited the crashed pickup and attempted to leave the scene.  

Employees from Certified Benz and Beemer on the intersection corner attended to the injured victims while one employee followed the suspects into an apartment complex where the suspects attempted to steal another vehicle. 

Police surrounded the suspects on both sides at gunpoint and restrained them.  They were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of their injuries.  When they were released the next morning, they were booked into jail on charges of aggravated assault, failure to stay at an accident scene, endangerment, kidnapping and unlawful flight.  

A total of five innocent victims were transported to hospitals.

Suspects Andrea Garcia-Arana, age 23, and Ramiro Santiago Arangure, age 21, are each held on a $1 million bond.  The investigation is ongoing.

We wish swift and full recoveries for those who were injured.