Police chase after suspects who allegedly carjacked man, woman at Stanislaus County taco truck

Three suspects accused of carjacking a male and female at gunpoint were arrested following a pursuit through various areas of Merced County on Tuesday, according to authorities.

According to Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Erich Layton, deputies responded at around midnight to a reported carjacking at a taco truck in the area of Yosemite Boulevard and South Santa Fe Drive in Empire.

According to authorities, a gun was reportedly pointed at the male and female victims as the three suspects demanded the victim’s keys wallet and phone.

The suspects took the vehicle, a Kia Forte. One of the victims was able to track the vehicle using a GPS tag device, according to Layton.

Just after 1 a.m. Tuesday, Atwater Police officers assisting the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle near Osborn Park, according to Atwater Police Chief Michael Salvador.

Officers attempted to stop the vehicle and initiated a pursuit when the driver attempted to flee.

According to Salvador, a total of three Atwater Police officers pursued the vehicle along northbound Highway 99 to Livingston and then southbound along Highway 99 back through Atwater and into Merced where the pursuit ended. Salvador said the California Highway Patrol assisted and deployed stop sticks to disable the vehicle.

According to Salvador, the pursuit lasted for about one hour.

“We followed it on its rims until it got to Campus Parkway in Merced,” Salvador said.

Authorities said officers recovered a shotgun and the three suspects were arrested and turned over to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office.

According to Layton, two of the the suspects, identified as Anthony Granados, 19, and Tony Rodriguez, 18, both of Merced, were booked into the Stanislaus County Jail. A 16-year-old male suspect in the vehicle was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall and Commitment Facility.

All three suspects were booked on suspicion of multiple felony charges including carjacking, conspiracy, illegal possession of a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm with intent to commit a felony, according to Layton.