Two people arrested after Atascadero Walgreens armed robbery and chase Wednesday

ATASCADERO, Calif. – Two people were arrested Wednesday after an alleged armed robbery at a Walgreens store and fleeing law enforcement in Monterey County.

On June 12, around 6:24 p.m., officers were called to a reported armed robbery at the Walgreens Pharmacy in the 8000 block of El Camino Real, Atascadero police said in a news release regarding the arrests.

Arriving officers confirmed with an employee that a man was observed placing merchandise in a large trash bag inside the store, the Atascadero Police Department said.

According to Atascadero police, when an employee followed the man and told him to stop, the man punched him in the face before leaving.

A second person was observed leaving the store with unpaid merchandise in their arms and both entered the same vehicle before leaving the scene, Atascadero police said.

The Walgreens employee then sought treatment for his visible injuries at Twin Cities Community Hospital, shared by the Atascadero Police Department.

According to the Atascadero Police Department, at approximately 8:40 p.m. the same day, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) notified Atascadero Police that the two men had been arrested in Gonzales, Monterey County.

The CHP located the reported vehicle in Monterey County and, after attempting a traffic stop, a pursuit ensued, the Atascadero Police Department detailed.

The vehicle eventually rolled into a drainage ditch and the two men fled the scene on foot, but were eventually arrested while hiding in a nearby culvert, Atascadero police said.

Officers with the Atascadero Police Department took both men into custody, recovered the stolen merchandise from Walgreens, and additional property was located in the vehicle and is currently under investigation, shared the Atascadero Police Department.

The 29-year-old Stockton man was jailed in San Luis Obispo County on charges of robbery, battery and conspiracy and the 25-year-old woman was jailed on conspiracy and shoplifting charges, the police department said. of Atascadero.