Fremont Police Arrest Heavily-Armed Carjacking Suspect, 2 Alleged Accomplices After Robbery Attempt
FREMONT (CBS SF) - Police made three arrests and found two automatic weapons along with a disguise stashed in a store restroom after a robbery attempt and carjacking in the parking lot of a Fremont shopping center.
It happened Wednesday at about 2 p.m. at Dick's Sporting Goods in the Pacific Commons Shopping Center.
Employees called police after thee spotted two men and a woman allegedly tampering with security sensors in the footwear department.
An officer observed one of them, 33-year-old Joseph Fuimaono of Hayward, walking towards the back of the store, carrying a backpack.
When Fuimaono exited, police said he got inside the driver's side of an occupied vehicle parked in the parking lot. After a struggle with a passenger, the suspect drove the car onto the sidewalk and onto Automall Parkway, where the victim jumped out.
A two-mile chase ensued, but police said they stopped the pursuit when Fuimaono began driving the wrong way.
Police used the victim's cellphone to track the suspect to Fremont's Sundale neighborhood where they found the abandoned vehicle.
Meantime, the other two suspects, 28-year-old Lisa Saefong of Richmond and 27-year-old David Correa, were detained and arrested at the sporting goods store on charges including burglary, vehicle theft, and possession of stolen property.
Police said Fuimaono was already wanted on several felony warrants.
Later, with the assistance of Oakland police, Fuimaono was traced to a residence in Oakland, where he was arrested without incident on charges including carjacking, kidnapping, evading police and reckless driving.
Detectives inspected the backpack Fuimaono allegedly abandoned in a store restroom and found a loaded AK-47 rifle, a loaded AR-14 rifle, a hood and gloves.