Armed robbery suspect who led police on lengthy pursuit Thursday evening arrested in Irwindale
Irwindale police have arrested a man wanted in connection with an armed robbery that occurred Thursday afternoon, just before he led them on a lengthy pursuit throughout the Southland.
According to a press released from Irwindale Police Department, officers were initially dispatched to the 6600 block of Irwindale Avenue after receiving reports of an armed robbery in the area.
They found the suspect inside of his vehicle, a black Honda Accord, near Gladstone Street and Dugan Avenue in Azusa and attempted to perform a "high-risk vehicle stop; however, the suspect did not stop for the officers' emergency lights and sirens and actively fled rom the patrol cars," the statement said.
During the course of the 40 minute pursuit, the suspect fled through Irwindale, Azusa, Duarte, Bradbury, Monrovia, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena and Alta Dena via both surface streets and the 210 Freeway. At times, the suspect was booked traveling speeds up to 95 miles per hour, constantly running through stop signs and red lights and driving on the wrong side of the road.
Officers terminated pursuit due to the dangerous nature and threat posed to the community, but after additional information, officers were able to identify the suspect, 34-year-old Glendora resident Hector Damian Silvaruiz.
They learned that he had attempted to rob several people of their cellphones and other items while armed with a hammer Thursday afternoon. In all, seven victims were identified in the incident, two of which were children under the age of 10.
No one was injured during the attempted robberies, but many of their vehicles were damaged by the suspect's hammer. Police recovered the weapon from the scene.
Silvaruiz was book and held on $75,000 bail for multiple felony charges, including robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest, vandalism and several vehicle code violations.
