Police pursuit ends with crash in Valley

PHOENIX - Two people are in custody after leading police on a high speed chase that stretched from west Phoenix to Scottsdale.

The chase played out live on ABC15 from Air15 Friday.

Sgt. Steve Martos of the Phoenix Police Department said that officers originally tried to stop the man and the woman near 51st Avenue and Thomas for a traffic stop, but they refused to stop.

Martos said the two met up with another couple and ended up getting into their vehicle. That couple eventually got out and the two suspects pulled into a strip mall at 107th Avenue & Lower Buckeye.

Martos said an undercover cop who was in the area attempted to confront them and that is when they pointed a gun at the officer.

The officer opened fire hitting the man while the pair took off, car-jacking a woman and fleeing with her in her car.

However, Martos said Saturday that the woman originally thought to be a car-jacking victim turned out to be an ex-girlfriend of the suspect.

Police believe that she was contacted by the suspect and was asked to meet him at a certain location, but was unaware of the situation he was involved in so, at this time, she is not being charged with anything. The investigation is still on-going.

The woman then got out of the car at a Scottsdale intersection before the suspects continued on, ramming several cars before getting into a crash with two other cars near 92nd Street and McDowell where police finally caught up to them.

"These two people obviously wanted to get away they are car jacking people and pointing a gun at an officer," said Martos. "Obviously these are some dangerous people."

The male suspect is being treated at hospital for a gunshot wound. He is expected to be o.k.

The woman, identified Saturday as Marcia Quitaro, has been booked on 1 count of prohibited possessor of a weapon, according to Martos.

The undercover officer has been with the Phoenix Police Department for six years. He is being placed on administrative leave which is standard procedure when officers shoot a suspect.