BREAKING: Carjacking suspect dead after crash near Somerton
UPDATE: YPD said they identified the driver of the stolen small silver car, a 2011 Hyundai Accent as 44-year-old Alfredo Panduro Zendejas of Yuma, Arizona.
Zendejas died as a result of the crash.
YPD said Zendejas has an extensive violent criminal history, including serving time in prison.
Court records reveal Zendejas has a criminal past in Yuma County dating back to 1998 when he was found guilty of criminal trespassing.
In 2001, he was found guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapons.
In 2018 he was found guilty of attempted burglary.
Most recently in 2020 he was found guilty of burglary.
UPDATE: An official press release was sent out by Yuma Police Department (YPD), Yuma County Sheriff's Office (YCSO), and Arizona Western College (AWC) Police regarding this incident.
YCSO took a report of a stolen large water truck and two stolen firearms in the area of Araby Road and County 9 ½ Street around 7:45 a.m.
Around 9:12 a.m. the YPD took a report of an attempted carjacking near Marine Corps Air Station.
According to the press release, a Hispanic man threatened a 45-year-old woman with a gun and attempted to take her vehicle but it would not start.
The suspect then left in the large water truck, YPD said there were no reported injuries.
Around 10 a.m., the suspect carjacked a purple Acura in the parking lot of AWC and threatened a 51-year-old woman with a gun.
The suspect left the scene in the Acura, leaving behind the water truck, there were also no reported injuries.
Around 10:41 a.m., the stolen purple Acura was seen on 16th Street and Pacific Avenue but was then lost in the area of 24th Street and Kennedy Lane.
At 3:57 p.m., the stolen Acura was being pursued by Somerton Police Department northbound on Avenue 3E and became a multiple-agency pursuit said the press release.
The pursuit went onto I-8 eastbound to Foothills Boulevard, back westbound on North Frontage Road, then south on Avenue 8E.
And then eastbound on South Frontage Road which caused an accident at Fortuna and South Frontage.
The suspect continued to Foothills Boulevard, west on North Frontage Road then north on Fortuna Road to Highway 95 westbound.
The suspect then abandoned the Acura at 16th Street and Pate Drive and ran away on foot northbound.
According to the press release, the suspect shot at a Department of Public Safety vehicle and carjacked a small silver car in the area of 15th Place and South Lee Drive.
The suspect threatened the woman in her 70s with a gun, they discharged the firearm twice near the woman victim and her passenger.
There were also no reported injuries.
The press release said the pursuit continued through the Yuma Palms Regional Center Mall to Giss Parkway down to Avenue B and continued southbound.
And also made its way to County 15th Street and Avenue 3E where the suspect crashed with a semi-truck in the intersection said the press release.
The suspect who was a 44-year-old Hispanic man was pronounced dead at the scene said the press release.
There were no other reported injuries and this case is still under investigation by multiple agencies.
YPD, YCSO, Somerton PD, Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs, and Border Patrol Air and Marine Operations, US Border Patrol, and US Marshals were involved or assisted with the vehicle pursuit.
If you have information about this case, contact YPD at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.
UPDATE: A carjacking suspect is dead Wednesday night after getting t-boned by a semi-truck near Somerton.
According to Yuma Police, they said it all started this morning with a carjacking in Yuma County.
They say the suspect then tried to steal another vehicle close to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma but that failed.
The suspect then went to Arizona Western College and stole another car in the Kino parking lot, thankfully the victim was not harmed.
Police say they found the suspect later in the day but were not able to arrest him.
He then made his way from Somerton through Yuma County and the Foothills then back to the Yuma Palms mall where he stole another car.
They say that's the car that crashed with the semi on Avenue 3E and County 15th Street.
Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed the suspect died in that crash.
UPDATE: Police is asking everyone to avoid the area as it will be blocked off.
UPDATE: The pursuit just ended moments ago and Yuma Police say the suspect is no longer running away and that a crash happened during the pursuit on Avenue 3E and County 15th Street.
UPDATE: Yuma Police confirmed they are pursuing the suspect who carjacked a faculty member at gunpoint at the AWC campus Wednesday morning.
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Arizona Western College (AWC) confirmed that a victim was carjacked at gunpoint on campus Wednesday morning.
The college says the carjacking happened in the Kino parking lot. They say that thankfully the victim was not harmed.
The suspect left the campus in the stolen vehicle. AWC Police and the Yuma Police Department are investigating.
They say there is no active threat to the college campus.
The victim is a female faculty member who was starting her day.
“The victim was not harmed fortunately very scared I understand that and I will tell you that AWC history and record of violent crimes are very low, we’re a very safe campus and I attribute that to the people who work here and the people who attend here.," said AWC Chief of Police Stephen Suho.
