A man and a teen were arrested Sunday night in connection with two armed robberies, after fleeing in an SUV and crashing into a vehicle as they exited I-19 at West Ajo Way, police said.
Jose Cuevas, 18, was booked into the Pima County jail and is facing two counts of armed robbery, one count of attempted armed robbery and three counts of aggravated assault, said Sgt. Chris Widmer, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.
Raul Lazoya, 17, who is in police custody at a hospital after he was bitten by a police dog, is facing two counts of armed robbery, one count of aggravated assault and one count of felony fleeing from a law enforcement officer, Widmer said.
Widmer said Cuevas was arrested on suspicion of committing armed robberies at a Denny's restaurant, 1510 W. Valencia Road, shortly before 6 p.m., and at Toys R Us, 4525 N. Oracle Road, shortly before 7 p.m.
Lazoya was identified as the getaway driver of a dark SUV in both robberies, Widmer said.
Widmer gave the following account:
In the first incident, a man went into the southwest-side Denny's and showed a handgun, demanding money from an employee and then the manager.
The robber left, as a passenger in a dark SUV, with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was injured in the robbery.
In the second incident, a man entered the north-side Toys R Us, showed a handgun and demanded money at the customer service desk.
The robber fired one shot into the ceiling, but no one was injured.
He then left in a dark SUV with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police chased the getaway vehicle on Interstate 10 with help from the department's helicopter. During the chase, the suspects rear-ended a vehicle at a high speed at Interstate 19 and West Ajo Way.
The driver of the vehicle that was rear-ended suffered minor injuries.
The suspects drove west on Ajo Way to South Mission Road, where they abandoned the SUV and ran into a nearby mobile home park at 1703 W. Ajo Way. Both were captured.
Police found a handgun in the SUV, which they believe was the gun used in both robberies.
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