Carjacking suspects arrested by EGPD

At 12:44 p.m. yesterday, the Elk Grove Police Department responded to the area of Grisham Way and W. Stockton Blvd. regarding a carjacking that had just taken place.

The victim, a 21-year-old Elk Grove resident, indicated that he was selling his vehicle, a 1997 Buick Regal GS, using Craigslist and agreed to meet a potential buyer at WinCo (8142 Sheldon Rd.). After meeting the buyer (later identified as 19-year-old Sacramento resident Romalas Ross), the victim allowed the Ross to test drive the vehicle.

The victim sat in the front passenger seat while Ross drove the vehicle. After driving out of the WinCo parking lot, Ross drove down W. Stockton Blvd. towards Grisham Way.

When Ross stopped the vehicle, an unidentified male approached the passenger side of the vehicle armed with a shotgun. The suspect with the shotgun (later identified as a 17-year-old Sacramento resident) pointed the weapon at the victim then ordered him out of the vehicle.

The armed suspect then sat in the front passenger seat as Ross drove the vehicle away at a high rate of speed. As officers were responding to the call, a City of Elk Grove Code Enforcement officer advised dispatch that he was driving behind the stolen vehicle and it was getting on Highway 99 northbound from Bond Rd.

Additional officers responded to Highway 99 in an attempt to conduct an enforcement stop. Several motor officers caught up to the stolen vehicle and activated their emergency lights and sirens.

The 17-year-old driver did not yield and led officers on a pursuit that reached speeds up to 100 miles per hour. When he attempted to take the Florin Rd. exit (east), the vehicle lost traction and spun out of control.

The vehicle crossed over a lane of traffic (Highway 99 onramp from Florin Rd.) before coming to rest in a grassy area. The driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot towards a business complex located in the 7200 block of 55th St.

Officers pursued the driver and he was quickly taken into custody in the rear of a storage facility. Ross, who remained seated in the passenger seat, was ordered out of the car and taken into custody without incident.

A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a loaded shotgun and the victim’s cell phone. A records check revealed that the shotgun had been reported stolen. The vehicle was processed by C.S.I. then returned to the victim.

Ross was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail, while the 17-year-old was transported to the Sacramento County Juvenile Hall. Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, a photo of the adult suspect is not being released.