The Bernalillo Police Department (BPD) reported that two men, one of whom was armed, allegedly stole two BB guns and a case of CO2 from Tractor Supply. They then led officers on a chase from Bernalillo, through Corrales, and into Albuquerque. The pursuit was eventually called off due to the suspects’ reckless driving, which included driving on curbs and sidewalks.
“Officers responded quickly. They were able to locate the suspect vehicle and pursued it in Albuquerque. We’ll be following up with further investigation with our Detective Division,” Chris Stoyell, BPD chief, told the Signpost.
According to Stoyell, the store clerk described one suspect as appearing to be in his late 30s, Hispanic and wearing a red shirt. The other suspect, who was Caucasian, wore a camouflage mask over his face and a white shirt and was armed with a handgun, while the man in red was unarmed.
The men reportedly drove a gray Dodge truck with a white camper shell, but license plate readers on Highway 550 were unable to capture a clear image of the plate.
According to Stoyell, BPD located the truck heading southbound on N.M. 528 near Idalia Road. The vehicle continued to speed, turning westbound onto Corrales Road, where the suspects drove recklessly through Corrales. They reached Alameda Boulevard and police lost visual contact for a few minutes.
The officers later spotted the truck heading south on Rio Grande Boulevard from Alameda. The pursuit continued south on Rio Grande Boulevard to Indian School Road. Around the intersection of Indian School and Rio Grande, BPD canceled the pursuit after the suspects began driving down the sidewalk.
Stoyell said the Corrales Police Department and the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office assisted BPD during the pursuit, but the Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office were not involved in the pursuit.
“It’s unfortunate, I mean, it fits everything, they committed a felony and I don’t know why [APD and BCSO] wouldn’t get involved,” Stoyell said.
According to police, during the initial robbery, the clerk pleaded with the men as they were exiting the store, saying, “Stop, don’t do this.” The man in the white shirt allegedly turned and pointed his handgun at her, threatening, “Don’t follow me or I’ll shoot you.” When she stopped to pull out her phone to call 911, the suspect ordered her to put the phone away or he would shoot her.
The investigation is ongoing, and police are urging anyone with information about the robbery or the suspects to contact BPD at 505-891-7226.