Colorado Springs police intentionally crashed into a car Wednesday night to catch an armed suspect possibly connected to numerous store robberies.
Julian Benito Archuleta, 33, has been arrested for investigation of four counts of aggravated robbery and vehicular eluding, according to a police report.
At about 7:04 p.m. a suspect entered a store in the 3300 block of East Fountain Drive, threatened a clerk with a gun and demanded cash.
The suspect fled in a white Dodge pickup truck. At about 10:10 p.m., a patrol officer saw the truck driving near a strip mall at Hancock Expressway and Delta Drive. A man and a woman were inside the truck.
The police officer followed the truck until other officers arrived and then turned on the car’s emergency lights. The suspect fled and a chase ensued.
As the suspect drove north on Academy Boulevard, officers drove into the truck just before it reached Chelton Road, causing it to run into a curb.
A man and woman got out of the truck and ran. After a brief pursuit, police arrested both suspects. The report does not indicate whether the woman was held on any charges. Her name was not released.
“Based on eyewitness statements the suspect is believed to have been involved in several armed robberies at various locations throughout the city,” the police report says.
Pit maneuvers in which police intentionally crash into the car of a fleeing suspect are fairly routine.
