Authorities searched Friday for three possibly armed robbery suspects who led authorities on a chase from Orange County to Pasadena, where they abandoned their pickup truck and ran into a parking garage.
The suspects were believed to be connected to a robbery of a Verizon store in Laguna Niguel at 27040 Alicia Parkway around 10:20 p.m. Thursday, said Orange County sheriff's Lt. Mark Kiernan. The search continued Friday morning.
A law enforcement source told NBC4 that one of the individuals was detained overnight, but released due to confusion about the suspect description.
The series of crimes began when two men displayed a handgun to a store's janitorial crew, who gave them access to the store, Kiernan said. No shots were fired and no one was injured in the robbery, according to Kiernan, but authorities were still trying to determine if there was a loss.
The sheriff's department broadcast to surrounding law enforcement agencies that the suspects fled in a white Ford F-150. Buena Park police soon began pursuing a truck that had three suspects inside and matched the description provided by the sheriff's department, chasing it across the county line into eastern Los Angeles, where the California Highway Patrol took over.
CHP picked up the chase around 11:10 p.m. Thursday on the westbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway near Soto Street in Boyle Heights, according to CHP Officer Tony Polizzi.
The chase ended in Pasadena where the driver let his two passengers out just before abandoning the truck and running into a parking structure in the area of Colorado Boulevard and Lake Avenue, authorities said. The chase ended about a block from an Apple store where customers were lined up for the release of the iPhoneX, slated for this morning, according to reports from the scene.
Police Chases
Video from Southern California's police pursuits and follow-ups on what happened after the chase
Authorities setup a containment in the area around 11:30 p.m. Thursday as they searched for the suspects. The suspects remained at large as of 2 a.m., according to authorities.
The vehicle reportedly used paper license plates.
