4 Attempted Robbery Suspects Arrested Following Murrieta Chase

MURRIETA, CA — Four attempted-robbery suspects led police on a chase through the streets of Murrieta before crashing into a power pole this week, Murrieta Police Lt. Jeremy Durrant said.

Justin Neal, 19, of Moreno Valley, was arrested at the scene, as were three underage boys, according authorities.

He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Murrieta Southwest Justice Center Friday on multiple felony charges, including conspiracy to commit a crime, assault with a deadly weapon or firearm, willful harm to children, reckless driving, attempted robbery in the second degree and two misdemeanors, violating a domestic violence order and falsely identifying himself to a peace officer.

Neal was being held at the Southwest Detention Center on $100,000 bail.

Police received a report of an attempted robbery shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday. A resident shopping in the furniture row parking lot near In-N-Out reported that someone inside a car aimed a gun in their direction, Durrant told Patch.

The resident provided officials with a description of the gun, a dark-colored Honda Civic and the four people inside, police said.

Officers arrived in the 39000 block of Avenida Acacias moments after the call came in and saw a vehicle matching the description leaving the shopping center, police said.

Officers attempted to stop the sedan in the parking lot, but the driver sped away eastbound on Murrieta Hot Springs Road, police said. The brief chase ended at Whitewood Road and Murrieta Hot Springs Road when the driver crashed the Civic into a wooden power pole, police said.

The Civic struck the pole hard enough to deploy every airbag in the crash, police said.

Police arrested Neal and three boys inside the car, police said. No injuries were reported from the crash.

Police recovered a BB gun from the car that looked like a real handgun, Durrant said. Police said the people who attempted to rob the victim used what appeared to be a Glock-style gun, Durrant said.