2 Arrested In Armed Carjacking And Chase In Long Beach

LONG BEACH, CA — Two people were arrested on Thursday after Long Beach police said they stole a person's car at gunpoint and crashed the vehicle into an unparked car after a short police chase.

At 12:32 p.m. on Thursday officers received a call about an armed carjacking that occurred in the area of Anaheim Street and Pacific Avenue. The victim of the carjacking said he was approached by a grey vehicle with a man and a woman inside when the man brandished a gun and demanded the victim's vehicle.

"The victim complied with the suspect’s demands," Long Beach Police Department said in a statement. "The suspects fled northbound on Anaheim street in the stolen vehicle."

Police then located the stolen vehicle shortly after and attempted a traffic stop, but the suspects fled and were briefly chased by police. The pursuit ended when the stolen vehicle crashed into an unoccupied parked car, LBPD said.

According to police, the male suspect got out of the car and fled on foot from that point and the female suspect remained in the car and was arrested. Officers located the male suspect later and also arrested him.

Officers said they found two loaded firearms — one of which was unserialized — and several rounds of ammunition in the stolen car.

The male suspect, Jose De Jesus Diaz of Long Beach, was booked on charges of carjacking, carrying a concealed weapon, carrying a loaded firearm in public, prohibited possessor in possession of a firearm and violation of Post Release Community Supervision. His bail was set at no bail.

The woman, Jessica Renee Chavira of Long Beach, was also booked on charges of carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle, carrying a loaded firearm in public, carrying a loaded firearm as not the registered owner and carjacking. Her bail was set at $100,000.