San Diego Ppolice officers are crediting a good Samaritan for helping lead them to the suspects wanted in a carjacking that began in Pacific Beach.
The witness saw three men force a man and woman into a BMW near Rocky's Bar & Grill in the 3700 block of Ingraham Street shortly before noon on Monday, according to the police. That witness immediately called 911 and gave the dispatcher information about the vehicle.
"Had this witness not called, who knows where they may have been at this point, because the victims in the car with suspects wouldn't have had an opportunity to call," police spokeswoman Monica Munoz said.
Police released video of the wild chase later on Monday.
The pursuit eventually headed to down Hotel Circle South at speeds up to 60 mph, police said. At some point, at least two weapons were thrown from the vehicle. The BMW wound up eastbound on Interstate 8, and the carjackers stopped car on left-hand shoulder.
Police said the three men jumped out of the car, hopped the freeway median, ran into a nearby Motel 6 parking lot, where they then jumped a fence and ran into riverbed. Police eventually caught them in that riverbed.
The names of the men arrested have not been released yet. Police are investigating if a stolen gun found at the scene may have been taken from a Southern California police officer.
