Armed robbers flee Fresno police at speeds up to 100 mph

Fresno police arrested a woman and man and were searching for another suspect after a high-speed pursuit through the city Tuesday morning following the robbery of a recycling center.

The incident began shortly after 8:30 a.m. after two suspects armed with handguns struck Curbside Recycling near Chestnut and Olive avenues, Lt. Joe Gomez said.

After hearing a police broadcast, an officer saw a Nissan Altima believed to be the suspects’ car and attempted to make a traffic stop. The Nissan sped away.

During the pursuit, two suspects were dropped off by the driver, identified by police as Crystal Leyba, 27, near Maple and Simpson avenues. One of the men was taken into custody, but the second remains at large. Police searching the neighborhood found one of the guns believed to have been used in the robbery.

Leyba proceeded up Cedar Avenue to Bullard Avenue, past Fresno State, and down Highway 168. Her speed reached 100 mph or more, according to police broadcasts. Officers broke off the pursuit several times because it was becoming too dangerous to continue.

The chase ended at a home near Sixth Street and Mayfair Avenue near McLane High School, where Leyba, wearing an Oakland Raiders No. 18 Randy Moss jersey, was taken into custody. Gomez said officers searching the home found Leyba’s husband, wanted on a felony probation warrant, and arrested him, too.

Gomez said the till from the recycling center was in the car. He also noted that it was the second robbery at a southeast Fresno recycling center in a week.

Anyone with information about Tuesday’s case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP.

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Armed robbers flee Fresno police at speeds up to 100 mph."