A pre-dawn robbery evolved into a shootout and vehicle chase Monday through the Harvey West neighborhood.
Both police and a business representative for an industrial cannabis facility on the 300 block of Encinal Street were put on alert when burglars tripped a security alarm at the site prior to 4:30 a.m., Santa Cruz Police Deputy Chief Jon Bush said. The business representative, however, arrived at the facility ahead of officers, catching at least two thieves leaving the site. The representative apparently attempted to apprehend the thieves by ramming his car into one of two believed fleeing vehicles, according to Bush.
“At some point, shots are exchanged between the victim and the suspect, and vice versa, is our understanding,” Bush said. “The suspects ultimately ended up fleeing. They’re still outstanding.”
A Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office deputy soon after located one of the vehicles, a white SUV with rear-end damage, abandoned near northbound Highway 17’s Pasatiempo exit. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of the Bay Area, Bush said.
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