A 17-year-old arrested in February for handgun possession was again arrested early Monday morning after he admitted to firing shots from a vehicle, which quickly drew the attention of nearby officers.
Officers Autumn Manning and William Williams were in the Shell parking lot, 197 Haywood Lane, when they heard the gunshots at 3 a.m. They saw a black Acura TSX leaving a nearby strip mall parking lot on Apache Trail at a high rate of speed.
The 17-year-old shooter, who was also driving the car, refused to stop for officers. He attempted to turn onto Hopedale Lane from Haywood Lane and crashed. The teen and four other occupants of the car attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended. A stolen 9-millimeter handgun and shell casings were recovered from the car.
The driver is charged with reckless endangerment, theft of property, juvenile handgun possession, evading arrest, juvenile curfew violation, and driving without a license. Two adults, Juan Vargas, 20, and Rolando Araujo-Arzate, 19, are each charged with evading arrest and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Two other teens in the Acura, ages 15 & 17, are each charged with evading arrest and curfew violation.
