San Jose Robbery, Carjacking Suspects Arrested After Standoff, Chase
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- Two carjacking and robbery suspects who prompted a several-hours-long standoff with police at a vacant home in San Jose Friday morning were arrested after leading officers on a short pursuit Saturday, police said.
Roland Ramirez, 39, and Franchesca Galope, 28, were wanted on suspicion of carjacking and robbery after Ramirez allegedly stole a gold Cadillac Escalade from the Calco gas station located at 6095 Cahalan Ave. around 9:50 p.m. Thursday, Sgt. Jason Dwyer said.
About an hour later, officers spotted the car near Bascom and Camden avenues and attempted to stop it, but the driver led police on a chase that reached speeds of 100 mph on state Highway 85, police said.
In the interest of public safety, officers abandoned that pursuit, Dwyer said.
Around 3:55 a.m. Friday, police spotted a second stolen vehicle that Ramirez was believed to have been driving, a white Lexus SUV, parked in front of a vacant home in the 5600 block of Blossom Avenue.
The police department's SWAT team was dispatched to the scene and multiple streets in the residential neighborhood were closed Friday morning as officers tried to coax the suspect from the home.
After searching the home, police determined that neither Ramirez nor Galope were inside.
Saturday, about 12:20 p.m., police on patrol spotted Ramirez driving the gold Cadillac in the area of the Guadalupe Freeway, or state Highway 87, and Curtner Avenue.
As Ramirez led police on a short pursuit, he struck two civilian vehicles and a building before allegedly attempted to carjack a motorist at the intersection of Curtner and Lincoln avenues, police said.
Officers prevented the carjacking, and Ramirez fled on foot before he was arrested.
Galope, who was a passenger in the Escalade, was also arrested.
Anyone with information about these crimes is asked to contact Detective Raul Corrales at (408) 277-4166. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at (408) 947-STOP (7867).
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
