Crime & Safety
Suspect Linked to Armed Carjackings in Cerritos & Artesia Caught at End of Pursuit in Norwalk
The 23-year-old Norwalk man led sheriff's deputies on a brief chase on Wednesday afternoon. He is tied to at least three carjackings, including one that occurred in Cerritos on Sunday, Aug. 5.
A 23-year-old Norwalk man described by authorities as a prime suspect in several armed carjackings over the past several weeks in Artesia, Cerritos and Norwalk was arrested Wednesday after a brief chase that ended in a crash in Norwalk.
Deputies from the sheriff's Norwalk Station were alerted to a suspicious vehicle -- a white pickup truck -- shortly before 5 p.m. on Aug. 8. A check of the vehicle's license plate revealed it had been stolen in an armed carjacking that took place on Sunday in Cerritos, said Lt. Dana Chemnitzer of the Norwalk Sheriff's Station.
While driving the stolen pickup, the suspect -- Ricky Navarro Ramirez -- led deputies on a short pursuit, which came to a halt when Navarro crashed head-on into a blue pickup truck occupied by another driver at Alondra Boulevard and Elaine Avenue in Norwalk.
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Both parties suffered only minor injuries, according to sheriff's Sgt. Mike Mendoza of the Norwalk Station.
Ramirez was booked at the Norwalk Sheriff’s Station for vehicle theft, receiving stolen property and evading. He is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
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Ramirez Suspected in At Least Three Other Armed Carjackings
The suspect is believed to be involved in several recent armed carjackings that took place in the areas of Artesia, Cerritos and Norwalk, according to a Sheriff's Department statement.
One of those robberies occurred in Cerritos on Sunday, Aug. 5 at about 10:45 a.m. when the suspect demanded the victim's keys at gunpoint near the area of 166th Street and Norwalk Boulevard, said Sgt. Joseph Fleischmann of the .
Details of the other carjackings were not immediately available.
Anyone with information about the suspect or this incident, is asked to call the watch commander at the Norwalk Sheriff's Station at (562) 863-8711. Or, if you wish to remain anonymous, call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.
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