Suspect arrested after carjacking Amazon truck in Phoenix

PHOENIX — A suspect has been taken into custody after a double carjacking in Phoenix Wednesday morning.

At about 7:30 a.m. near Cave Creek Road and Cactus Road, Phoenix police responded to a call about a group of men trespassing. After questioning, one of the men took off running.

Police later learned that the suspect has outstanding warrants for his arrest.

The suspect took off on foot into a residential neighborhood. He jumped into the driver's side of a delivery truck, delivering packages for Amazon. The suspected realized there was a passenger in the car and showed that he had a gun before starting to drive the truck away. The passenger acted quickly, putting the car in park, grabbing the keys, and escaping the truck.

ABC15's Claudia Rupcich spoke to the two Amazon workers involved in the carjacking, who told her one of them was making a delivery while another was filling out paperwork. The workers confirmed to Rupcich, the suspect jumped into the truck's driver's seat after brandishing a weapon.

Police say the suspect ditched the delivery truck, and approached a nearby car, a Chevrolet Avalanche, with a female in the driver's seat. The suspect tried to enter through the driver's door, but could not, breaking the car's door handle during the attempt. The suspect then moved around the vehicle, entering through the passenger door, and holding the driver at gunpoint.

"[He] Got inside and held that victim an gunpoint, actually physically assaulted her and simultaneously shoved her out of that vehicle," said Sgt. Mercedes Fortune with the Phoenix Police Department.

The suspect drove away, nearly missing on resident's car. The suspect, 27-year-old Justin Berthiaume, was arrested Wednesday afternoon near 25th Street and Bell Road according to police.

"[The suspect] Almost hit me and another car. He was driving at a high rate of speed on north Cave Creek," said Jeff Clinton, who was in his car at the time. "Went through the intersection at Sweetwater and just blew the light and everything."

“We are thankful that the delivery drivers are safe and will work with law enforcement as they investigate the incident," said an Amazon spokesperson.

Amazon added that not deliveries were affected by the carjacking.