YUMA, AZ — The Yuma Police Department says an alleged carjacker died in a crash after a multi-agency pursuit Wednesday.
The incident began when the police department received a report of a stolen water truck and two firearms near Araby Road and U.S. 95.
A couple of hours after the initial report, an attempted carjacking occurred about six miles away in which a man threatened a 45-year-old woman with a gun. When the vehicle did not start, the man then left the area in a large water truck, officials say.
Less than an hour later, a man reportedly stole a vehicle from the parking lot of Arizona Western College. Officials say in that incident, a 51-year-old woman was threatened with a gun and her purple Acura was stolen. The water truck was left at AWC.
Officials say the stolen Acura was seen around 11 a.m. and again just before 4 p.m. as it was being pursued by the Somerton Police Department.
At some point during the pursuit, the man abandoned the Acura, shot at a Department of Public Safety vehicle, and fled on foot.
Officials say the man then carjacked another vehicle, a silver car, near Pacific Avenue and U.S. 95. The man threatened a woman in her 70s with a gun and fired twice near her. She was not injured during this interaction.
The pursuit ended near Avenue 3 E and County 15th Street when the man crashed into a semi-truck.
The man died at the scene. No other injuries were reported in this incident.
The Yuma Police Department includes Yuma County Sheriff's Office, Somerton PD, DPS, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Patrol Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Marshals as assisting agencies.
