An alleged carjacker who held both a college student and an off-duty nurse at gunpoint in San Bernardino was arrested in South LA Tuesday morning, officials said.
The chain of events began Monday just after 1 p.m. when 20-year-old Julio Cesar Delaluz allegedly carjacked and robbed a student who was sleeping inside his car at a Cal State San Bernardino parking lot, San Bernardino Police Lt. Rich Lawhead said.
University police said Delaluz brandished a handgun and hit the student several times before forcing him to drive off campus, demanding money and his cellphone, and then driving away in the student's green Ford Taurus.
Lawhead's statement only said the student was carjacked at gunpoint and then called police from a nearby business.
Within an hour, San Bernardino police got a call about another carjacking, where they allegedly found Delaluz at the scene of a crash on the 215 Freeway near the 27th Street ramp, police said.
An off-duty nurse got out of her car to help at the scene and let the suspect use her phone, Lawhead said. Delaluz allegedly then carjacked her at gunpoint and drive away in her 2003 Lexus.
Nearly 12 hours later, LA sheriff's deputies in South LA started pursuing a 2003 Lexus about 1:20 a.m. Monday, Lawhead said.
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The Lexus crashed during the chase, and the occupants of the car ran away, officials said. One of the occupants was identified as the carjacking suspect. Deputies arrested Delaluz and two others who were in the car, officials said.
He was booked on suspicion of kidnapping, carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon, Lawhead.
Michael Larkin contributed to this report.
