ANAHEIM, Calif. (KTLA) — Three suspected armed robbers are in custody and 2 others are being sought near Cal State Fullerton following a pair of high speed pursuits on Wednesday.
The armed robbery occurred at Empire Jewelry and Pawn Shop in the 24000 block of Sunnymead Boulevard Wednesday around 3 p.m.
Witnesses reported seeing 5 armed men wearing ski masks enter the jewelry store.
Police say a clerk at the store was shot and wounded during the heist.
The robbers then fled in a grey colored Lexus.
CHP officers spotted the getaway vehicle on the 60 Freeway and a pursuit began.
The suspects traveled to the 57 Freeway where the vehicle exited at Nutwood Avenue.
The men bailed out of their vehicle near Cal State Fullerton, where 2 of the suspects was arrested.
Two of the men ran onto the university campus and disappeared.
A third managed to carjack a second car and led police on another pursuit through Orange County and into Watts.
The man drove at speeds close to 100 mph before bailing out of the car.
He was arrested after a foot pursuit through a crowded park next to the Imperial Courts Recreation Center on 114th St.
Tonight, Cal State Fullerton is on lockdown while police search the area for the outstanding suspects.
Police set up a perimeter around Mihaylo Hall, where students said they saw at least one of the suspects.
A SWAT team was doing a room-to-room search.
The school’s twitter account posted the following alert at 5:00 p.m. #CSUF students and employees: If you are inside a university building, we remain on lock-down. If your outside, evacuate campus immediately.
Laura Evangelista, 21, a third-year communications major, was in a room in University Hall with 35 other students and sent a text message to a reporter from The L.A. Times
“We’ve barricaded the doors. We’re using the projection screens to look up Twitter feeds and news sites for updates. Staying quiet, turned down the lights a little. One faculty member tried to come into the door, which I thought was stupid.”
Asked if she was scared, Evangelista responded:
“A bit, yeah. Not like mass panic, but this hasn’t ever happened in the time that I’ve been here. It’s a scary situation especially knowing they are armed. When that faculty tried to come in the door, it was so silent …. And that’s when you could tell everyone is kind of scared. It’s confusing also.”
